


The Sun's Night

by gatekat



Category: X-Men Evolution
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-05-25
Updated: 2003-06-19
Packaged: 2018-08-29 13:38:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 39,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8491903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gatekat/pseuds/gatekat
Summary: Co-written with Todd McCall.Roberto 'Sunspot' DaCosta has a crush on Kurt 'Nightcrawler' Wagner and isn't hiding it all that well. Which isn't always such a bad thing.





	1. Called on Behavior

**Author's Note:**

> AU for gratuitous use of Comicverse info while set in the Evoverse.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roberto is not being nearly as circumspect about his crush as he thinks, and a certain wolf calls him on it with a friendly warning.

Roberto DaCosta shut the door behind him, as he slid into his room at the Institute after another grueling training session. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy them, because he loved a challenge. However, they were challenges on every level and that was tiring. Taking advantage of the privacy offered by his private room, he stripped down and put on running shorts. He left a shirt over the back of his desk chair, while he lay shirtless on the bed to write his brother in Rio a long overdue letter.

He paused for a moment, and then began writing in his native Portuguese which came much easier than English, which was still a trial at times. Besides, he always felt more secure in his native language.

  


> >   
>  Hiya, Mikey.
>> 
>>         Yeah, I know you hate it when I call you that. I'll stop as soon as you stop calling me Bobby. Sorry I took so long to write, I've been busy with everything here at the Institute. The extra classes and the extra physical education requirements are very time consuming.
>> 
>>         To answer the question you asked at the airport: Yes, there are pretty girls here. There's this fiery redhead, Jean, unfortunately she's got something going with one of the other guys here. And I don't mess with girls who date guys who can put me through a wall. Rogue, and yes that's really her name, is pretty but is seriously hands off. Then there's Kitty, she's cute but she's a freshman, bit young for me, I think.
>> 
>>         But probably the hottest woman here is Ororo, one of the instructors unfortunately. Unfortunate in that I can't see her going with any student, not even me. It's really a shame, 'cause she's seriously hot.
>> 
>>         Given I don't have a girl up here, you'd think that'd be what I was worrying about. Bro, try not to flip out but its not. Much to my own surprise I find myself noticing guys more and more. First it was just a once in a while thing, and then the occasional dream, and now it´s more.
>> 
>>         At first it was one of our male instructors, Logan. He's truly macho in a way father only wishes he could be. Probably the toughest fighter here, and very hot, in a guy way, but also way dangerous. Good fantasy material, but that's it.
>> 
>>         I figured what harm's a fantasy that's only that. At least that's what I thought till I started noticing just how cute Kurt is. He's about my age, but a bit smaller not quite the star athlete like me. But still, what he's really got going is this wonderful personality. It's like he's always looking for the next opening to have fun. In case you're wondering, Bro, yeah I've got a kind of mellow, goofy smile on my face thinking about him. Of course, as far as I can tell he's only into girls.
>> 
>>         Don't worry, Bro, I'm not asking for advice on how to approach guys. You don't know anymore about that then I do. Just don't tell Dad, he'd flip. Probably even worse then when Mom told him she was sending me here for school. Have they finalized the divorce yet, Mom didn't mention it when she was here a couple weeks ago?
>> 
>>         Yeah, varsity tryouts for soccer are next week. I figure I should make the team no problem, after all I did make the provincial team, in a country where they really appreciate soccer properly.
>> 
>> Write me back soon.
>> 
>> Roberto.

  
He quickly sealed the letter, and got his address book out to get his brother's address at college. "Yes?" He shouted in response to a knock at the door.

"Hey, Rob." Evan Daniels shouted back. "Dinner."

"Thanks, Evan. Be right there." He grinned, grabbing his shirt and throwing it on before heading out the door.

* * *

"Why don't you just ask him out, already?" Rahne Sinclair asked from Roberto's elbow as they watched Nightcrawler tackle an agility training program in the Danger Room.

Roberto's normal cool exterior vanished for a moment as he jumped in surprise. "Huh, what do you mean?" He asked, slipping into the normal defense against such questions that was required at home.

"You're fooling no one, except maybe Kurt," she inclined her head towards the dark blue mutant twisting and teleporting at incredible speeds and angles around lasers and robots. "It's getting as bad and Scott and Jean."

"Scott and Jean? I thought they were together?" He looked at her curiously, wondering if he'd misread something. Given he'd been at the Institute all of three weeks, it wouldn't be surprising that he had. "Am I so obvious?" He asked quietly, feeling a bit the fool.

"They haven't admitted it yet." She said with a bit of a shrug. "And yes, you are. He's just not looking yet."

"Yet? I'm not even sure he's interested in guys." Roberto admitted quietly, without evidence of his usual self-confidence.

"Neither is he." Rahne shrugged. "Just giving you a friendly heads up. The instructors will tell him if it gets too annoying."

"They do that?" Roberto's eyes went wide in shock and surprise. It was unheard of for instructors to do such things back home.

"That's what my wolf ears hear. Mostly directed at Scott and Jean at the moment, but you're number two on the list. I'd advise sorting yourself out before you make the top slot. It's not a place you want to be."

"Thanks for the heads-up, Rahne." Roberto smiled, as he tried to figure out just how to say something. He wasn't sure if it was as risky a subject as it was back home, but he surely did not want the instructors saying something for him. That would just make him look totally lame, and that just wasn't acceptable. "That's a disaster worth avoiding."

"Very true. Logan would be the one to do it." She held a chuckle inside. "A scene very much to be avoided."

"I shall just have to do something before it comes to that." Roberto said casually, though in truth he had no clue just what that was going to be.

"Very good." She nodded and turned away with a bit of a smile. "Good luck."

"Thank you." He smiled back. "I expect I'll need it." He finished much more quietly, though he suspected that her sensitive hearing probably caught it. He turned back to the action just in time to see Nightcrawler get nailed hard from two sides and go down.

As the program turned off Kurt staggered out of the Danger Room, panting and holding his chest from the pounding he'd gotten in the last few moments as he found the wall to lean against while he recovered.

Seeing that he was the closest, Roberto ran over to Kurt to check on him. "You okay, Kurt?" He asked, as he offered someone to lean on instead of the hard wall. Walls were okay, but not terribly responsive.

The move apparently surprised the shorter teen, his yellow eyes blinked wide for a second before he nodded. "Just bruised. It'll never be worse than that."

"Yeah, but bruises can sure sting when they happen." Roberto grinned knowingly. "Got enough from soccer to know that. Was that your last exercise for now?" He asked, since everyone's training regimen was a little different to account for differences in training, abilities and drive.

"Yes," he nodded, taking an experimentally deep breath. "Thankfully."

"Could you use a hand getting back to your room?" He asked, figuring his fuzzy blue teammate would want to clean up, and might not be up to teleporting quite yet. That last hit had looked pretty painful, safeties or no.

Kurt looked surprised again, but he nodded. "I can walk." He added and moved forward, still taking some advantage of the physical contact.

"I'm sure, but no sense aggravating new bruises." Roberto smiled, and walked alongside offering as much support and/or contact as Kurt wanted to take advantage of. He understood the sense of pride that required that one walk off the field, he done it on the soccer field often enough. Far too often if the opinion of his coaches was sought.

They'd made it half way up the second flight of stairs, and out of sight of everyone else, when pride and stubbornness met their match and Kurt had to choose between sliding down to sit on the stairs for a while, or accept putting almost all his weight against Roberto.

With a soft groan he went with the familiar and sank to the steps, taking comfort from the cool wall as pain forced his eyes closed for a long moment.

"Never let the instructors see how much it really hurts." Roberto said understandingly. "We wait till you feel up to walking again." He said easily, respecting his friend's pride and sitting down next to him on the stairs.

"He knows," Kurt said softly, his breath uneven between painful ribs. "He always knows."

"Wouldn't be much of a telepath if he didn't." Roberto chuckled softly. "But still we don't need to show them."

It earned him a look at said Kurt would have chuckled if it wasn't an excessively bad idea at the moment. "No, we don't."

"Those ribs really took a beating huh?" He commented sympathetically. "Must be if they're keeping you from laughing."

"Today just aggravated what was already there." He shook his head. "I'm half surprised I didn't get shipped over to the med-labs."

"Keep grimacing like that and you will." Roberto said quietly. "You probably should have those ribs looked at, a couple might have gotten broken, and that won't go away just by ignoring it."

"Not broken, just badly bruised." He shook his head and got to his feet with a little help from the wall. "It'll be fine in a couple hours. I couldn't do that exercise at all if they were broken."

"I meant, they might be broken now." He said quietly, as he stepped in to taken over from the wall. "But a few hours rest wouldn't hurt. You feel up to walking back to your room?" He asked, clearly intending to help again.

Kurt simply nodded and took the next step, his uncertainty about Roberto's sudden interest in helping showing, but not really feeling up to turning it down either. He quietly had to admit that he was hurt worse than he'd thought, even if it was just accumulated bruising that made each breath an exercise in self-control as the adrenaline continued to wear off.

Roberto knew that harping on the subject wouldn't change Kurt's mind, if the pain didn't. So he just helped and supported his injured friend as they slowly walked to his room.

Kurt leaned against the wall again as he closed the door with his tail, the pain enough to close his eyes and blind him to the presence of the teen next to him. Most of his conscious attention was focused on trying to remember when and how he's gotten hit this hard. That he couldn't only increased his stubborn determination not to go to the med-lab with it. He doubted he wanted to know if something was really wrong.

"You better lie down, Kurt." Roberto said quietly, only partly successful at masking his concern and winced in sympathy when Kurt jumped in surprise, and was enough to draw a sound out of him. Playing tough was one thing, but he was beginning to worry that something was really wrong.

"Right." Kurt managed a nod and moved with increasing difficulty to lie on his back. A low sound, half pain, half relief, escaped him as he closed his eyes and tried to let the sensations wash past him like it always had before.

Roberto pulled the desk chair over and sat down to keep an eye on Kurt. He might respect his friend's desire not to go to medical, but he wasn't going to leave him alone in this shape. Especially when it seemed to continue to get worse as the teen rested with his eyes closed. Even with Kurt apparently resting, he could see the painful way each breath made muscles twitch, and the increasingly shallow nature of them.

"Kurt, this isn't good." He said quietly. "You need to be in Med-lab."

"Relax, it takes a couple hours," he said quietly, though the crack in his voice said otherwise.

"Kurt, there's a time to play it tough, and a time to admit you need help." Roberto said gently. "You're not Logan after all."

That brought an involuntary chuckle that Kurt instantly regretted as it turned into a cough that drew tears as he ended up curled on his side, trying to relax the right muscles.

"Okay, Kurt. You need to go to med-lab, even if I have to carry you." He said, stepping up to the window to absorb the sunlight still streaming in. Kurt wasn't very large, but Roberto was a soccer player not a weightlifter so it was smarter to use his powers to be strong enough to carry the smaller teen easily. "I understand wanting to tough it out, but I don't think this is the time." He said apologetically, with a note of gentle concern in his voice that was far more serious than the laidback Roberto usually was.

Kurt could only try to remember how to breath as the pain rippled threw his body and mind, steeling any ability to focus past continuing to breath.

Roberto couldn't remember anything in the first aid course about moving someone with broken ribs, but he didn't want to make things any worse. He just hoped the professor was listening. "* _Professer Xavier?_ *" He thought loudly, trying to stay calm despite being more worried than he liked to admit.

"* _Yes, Roberto?_ *" The instantly calming voice came back with a speed that made him suspect he was keeping an 'eye' on them.

"* _Kurt's hurt. I think he may have gotten broken ribs in that last exercise, but I'm not sure. I was going to carry him down to med-lab but I'm not sure if that's a good idea._ *" He replied evenly, calmed down somewhat by the Professor's presence.

"* _Yes, most definitely._ *" He assured him calmly. _'Just try to shift his ribs as little as possible. I have alerted the staff._ *"

"* _Okay, Professor. I'll bring him right down._ *" Roberto said as he very gently lifted his blue fuzzy friend being very careful of the injured ribs. "Okay Kurt, I'm taking you to medical." He said as he made his way quickly to the med-lab with his marginally conscious teammate.

"Set him on the table," the mansion's nurse, Ms. Sanders, motioned to one of the lightly padded medical tables. "Do you know exactly what happened?"

"I think he was hurt worse than he thought during a training exercise." Roberto explained, as he gently set Kurt down on the table. "Caught between two impacts, and I think it bruised or broke one or more ribs." He said simply.

"It is amazing none of you get hurt worse than you do." The soft-spoken but steel willed nurse commented as she started with an injection of a specialty designed painkiller and blinked as Kurt went from marginally conscious to passed out with a sigh of relief. "Thank you for bringing him down. He seems to find trying to emulate Mr. Logan his new pastime."

"I know, I do it too." Roberto smiled as her knowing fingers ran over Kurt's chest and side to feel lightly for obvious breaks and worse. "So what's actually wrong? Is it his ribs?"

"Most likely." Ms. Sanders nodded and turned to type several things into a control panel. "I'll know more after X-rays. He definitely needs them."

"How long do you think he'll be out?" Roberto asked softly as looked down at his unconscious friend.

"Hopefully, several hours at least." She told him gently as she arranged the small X-ray equipment over Kurt and the medical bed. "It is not a good thing to pass out from relief after a simple painkiller. Particularly not that one."

"Would it be okay, if I stay for awhile?" Roberto asked, a bit uncertainly. "I just want to be sure he's okay."

"Of course you can stay," she smiled softly and motioned to a comfortable rolling chair nearby. "Just don't skip dinner or sleep for it."

"No, I won't." He smiled and sat down while she studied the results of the scans. "Thank you."

"Not a problem." Ms. Sanders smiled back and selected two more liquids to inject Kurt with before going to work at getting his costume off his upper body without injuring him further or cutting it.

Roberto didn't know anything beyond first aid, so he figured staying out of the way was his best way to help. Of course, despite efforts not to stare his eyes kept going back to Kurt as Ms. Sanders removed the upper half of his costume to reveal tightly packed lean muscle that twitched slightly with each shallow breath under it's covering of soft blue fur.

He continued to watch silently as she spread a translucent gelatin around Kurt's chest, smoothing it out to encase his ribcage. Then she retrieved a small blanket like device and laid it over the gelatin before turning it on.

"He should be feeling better than he has in months by morning."

Roberto blinked in surprise. "You mean he's been covering injuries for months?"

"Injuries would be exaggerating things a bit, but yes." She nodded and worked on setting up a drip IV. "None of it is worse than a crack, most is simply bruising. But it's bruises on top of bruises on top of more, going down into the bone. He's pushing himself too hard and not taking care of the minor injuries as they happen."

"I used to push that hard, till I got something broken in soccer that way." Roberto said, understandingly. "Something that could have healed in a couple weeks, ended up taking eight."

"Kurt will be facing a similar reality check," she smiled indulgently. "He is not likely to be a happy camper."

"Probably not, I know I wasn't. It was during the regional finals too, so my team didn't let me forget for some time. Sometimes it's hard to admit when you need help."

"It's never easy when you are the new kid either." She smiled at Roberto. "He hasn't been here much longer than you."

"Really? He sure seems like he has." Roberto said surprised. It was hard to believe since Kurt was part of what was essentially the primary mission team for the X-men.

"Really," Ms Sanders nodded and set gentle fingers on Kurt's forehead. "He is still very much trying to prove himself to himself."

"Wow." Roberto said quietly. "Kind of how I was the year before my first soccer championship, I had a lot to prove, mostly to myself. And there's no harder judge to deal with than yourself."

"No, there is not." She agreed softly.

"So is he gonna have to be out of school for this?" Roberto asked curiously. "Regular high school, I mean."

"Possibly tomorrow, but unlikely any longer." She chuckled softly. "*That school does not have very high physical demands, even if he doesn't feel great."

"He's probably been going feeling not great for awhile, from what you said." Roberto said softly, as he looked at his friend again. He was kind of surprised how similar they were, at least in some ways.

"Not nearly as long as it would be without the technology and talent that will help him here, but it will be a very difficulty couple of weeks for him, to be on restricted activity. He does not seem to handle orders well, particularly those involving 'slow down'. Not that anyone here does." She chuckled in light bemusement with a touch of resignation for the truth of her job.

"Well, I'll do what I can to make it easier for him." Roberto volunteered, not really sure what but willing to try anyway.

"I'm sure he'll appreciate it, as will the staff." She chuckled softly. "He will sleep well into tomorrow. If you wish to do something, he is unlikely to notice the absence."

"Well, I should probably go do my homework." Roberto smiled sheepishly. "I'll check back later. But let me know if he wakes sooner?" He asked softly, wondering why he was acting like they were a couple when they were only teammates.

"Of course," Ms. Sanders smiled reassuringly. "He will be fine. He simply needs rest, a lot of it."

"Something he's not good at." Roberto smiled. "He's a real non-stop ball of energy."

"I dare you to find _anyone_ in this mansion who takes 'slow down' well." She chuckled a bit ruefully. "I'm quite sure it comes with the mutant gene."

"Taking high school plus the Institute classes. Who has time to slow down?" Roberto chuckled. "But Kurt's a little more than just 'not slowing down', he's always moving like he's going to miss something." He said with a fond smile.

"Yes, he is quite the bundle of energy." She agreed softly and brushed his temples again. "Quite the stubborn one too."

"Now there's a rare trait around here." Roberto chuckled. "Bet that one goes with mutant gene too."

"It's certainly far too common for anyone's good." She nodded. "But then it takes a lot of energy and tenacity to survive as well. It's not an easy life for most."

"No kidding." Roberto grumbled. "I got transferred to another continent to avoid fallout."

"And gained a family that accepts you for it," she reminded him gently and tipped his face upwards to look her in the eyes. "Things will settle in time, Roberto. You belong here."

"My mom's okay with it, but she's all over the globe on digs." He shrugged. "No way to go to school as she pointed out."

"No, and here is a home that accepts you."

"Yeah, not something I'm used to." He smiled strangely. "My Dad and I weren't getting along well before the incident."

"It's not uncommon," she smiled at him. "The powers are only the most outward manifestation, but they are very rarely the first signs of your unique nature."

"I don't know about that, but he wasn't thrilled about my interest in playing soccer professionally." Roberto grinned weakly. "Not a sustainable career in his opinion."

"Really?" Ms. Sander's arched a fine blond eyebrow in surprise. "Most parents would be thrilled to have a professional sports star as a child."

"My father is a businessman, and he expected his sons to follow him in the business." He shrugged. "So, of course, my brother's going to college for science and I want to pursue a career in sports. Things were strained at home to say the least."

"I have no doubt of it." She nodded and drew her fingers back. "Are you finding things here less so?"

"Definitely." Roberto grinned. "Everyone's pretty cool, even if Scott could loosen up a bit. I never met anybody so serious all the time."

"He has a lot of responsibility for such a young age." She said gently. "And he's just the type. I can only imagine what it must be like to not only be blind without your glasses, but doing so much damage to whatever you look at as well."

"Yeah, that is a pretty heavy trip. And he's a good leader." Roberto admitted. "I just wish he'd lean on Kurt less, especially at school."

"Yes," she glanced at the sleeping teen. "It can't be helping his need to prove himself."

"Probably not. Once you get used to being part of a team, having the team captain's approval becomes important." Roberto said understandingly as she considered him seriously.

"Just how badly does he lean on Kurt?"

"Could be worse, but he needs to accept that Kurt just isn't as serious as he is. Kurt's interested in having fun, and is a little bit of a class clown." He smiled. "But only in a good way, but Scott is always trying to push him down, into being as serious as him. I think he means well, worries that Kurt's going to slip while he's playing and reveal something he shouldn't."

"Understandable, but still not for the best." She considered softly. "Perhaps it is time to bring it more directly to the Professor's attention."

"You know, Kurt would never have said anything." Roberto said quietly. "Probably be best if it didn't seem as if he did."

"I will mention that was well," Ms. Sanders nodded. "Though I expect the Professor would know it." She glanced over towards Kurt. "If it contributed towards him ending up here, it is my duty to mention it to him."

"I know. I just wasn't thinking when I brought it up." Roberto said quietly. "I'm just not one to go whining to the teachers, nor is Kurt."

"No, obviously not." She nodded. "But it is not something that had to come from him." She reminded him gently. "It's not a secret thing."

"That's true, lots of kids have seen it." Roberto nodded, relaxing a bit. "There's plenty of ways the Professor could've found out about it."

"Including just being the Professor." She chuckled softly. "Now relax, it will be handled as only he can."

"That still takes some getting used to." Roberto chuckled lightly. "Though I was most grateful for that today."

"Yes, it was most fortunate. The mansion does have an intercom system for such situations, however."

"I kind of forgot." Roberto smiled sheepishly.

"You will get used to things," she assured him gently with a hand on his shoulder. "It takes time to get used to this place."

"No kidding." Roberto smiled, as he turned to look at her. "It's worth it though."

"Definitely," she smiled at him. "Why don't you bring your homework down here? You can do it on the table and still keep an eye on Kurt."

"Thanks." Roberto smiled gratefully, and stood. "I'll be right back." He said as he shot out of the room, determined to be gone as little time as possible.


	2. Risk and Reward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roberto gets sidelined by Kitty, and the boys act and react without thinking too much.

Roberto caught the twitching of Kurt's long tail even before the equipment indicated he was close to waking nearly twenty-four hours later. He moved quickly to the nearby office. "Ms. Sanders, I think Kurt's about wake up." He said quietly, before returning quickly to the bedside. He knew it was standard most places to let the attending medical person know that sort of thing.

"Thank you," the blond woman smiled at him and walked out to check on Kurt, who was still deep asleep, but slowly rising to consciousness. "Mm, likely another hour or two before he's really ready to talk."

"His tail woke up before he did." Roberto smiled. Somehow now that Kurt was close to waking up, that was kind of funny.

"And the last part to fall asleep." She chuckled softly and double-checked the readings. "Keeping him under long enough to recover was quite the challenge. He does not like it."

"I think it's the 'can't-slow-down' gene again." Roberto snickered quietly.

"The day he can out-do Mr. Logan in that will be a frightening one." Ms. Sanders shook her head with a bemused laugh. "That man can process drugs like no one's business."

"Well isn't that what Mr. Logan does, heal quick?" Roberto said curiously. "Processing drugs would be much the same thing."

"That and do inordinate amounts of damage to anything that moves." She nodded. "He is very much a challenge to keep here."

"Things they never taught in nursing school, right?" Roberto grinned broadly, though the thought of Logan and beds, led to all the wrong thoughts given the fact he was in med-lab.

"To put it mildly." She chuckled and lightly brushed her fingers over Kurt's forehead. "Try not to get _too_ playful for a few days, mmm? He really does need his rest." She added with a knowing look.

At first Roberto looked at her a little blankly, not sure what she was getting at. When he finally caught on, a slight blush began to show through his olive Mediterranean complexion. "We're just friends." He muttered quietly, not really wanting to get into the fact that he did want more than that.

"Of course," she smiled gently. "You are a very loyal friend to him to stay here so long."

"Somebody needed to." Roberto said easily. "And I figured it might make waking up a little easier. Especially since he was in his room last thing I'm convinced he remembers."

"And in excessive amount of pain." She said softly. "I have little doubt it will make it easier for him. Even if the how he got here becomes a little awkward for you, I appreciate that you did. It could very easily have been internal bleeding or a punctured lung with the kind of pain he was in."

"That was kind of what I was worrying about. Like my soccer coach told me, there's two kinds of pain; the kind you work through and the kind you don't and the trick is learning the difference." He smiled fondly. "Of course, he was giving me this lecture while I was in a hospital bed with a broken leg I shouldn't have had."

"Yes, and hopefully Kurt will learn from this and not land down here for a repeat performance." Ms. Sanders shook her head. "There is little telling just yet if he's figured it out yet."

"Hard to tell anything when he's still unconscious." Roberto chuckled lightly.

"Yes," she smiled gently and turned to go back to her office. "If he opens his eyes before I check back, please come get me."

"Yes, Ma'am." Roberto nodded, as he returned to watching for Kurt to really wake up. As Ms. Sanders had indicated, it was nearly a full hour before those bewitching golden yellow eyes cracked open.

"Welcome to awareness, Mr. Wagner." Ms. Sanders professionally soothing voice greeted them even as Roberto was about to get her.

"Wha?" The athletically lean mutant lifted one hand to his face and groaned softly.

"You are in med-lab one." She informed him gently. "Your chest was quite badly beat up."

Kurt just moaned lightly and closed his eyes again. "How long?"

"Just over twenty four hours. You needed the rest badly."

"How'ya feeling, Kurt?" Roberto asked gently, from the chair he'd been occupying for a good share of the last twenty-four hours, less school which had been absolute torment.

"What happened?" He asked instead of answering, his eyes focusing on the other youth.

"You were in serious pain, and your breathing wasn't very good either." Roberto said quietly. "I was worried that something was seriously wrong, so I carried you down here." He said simply, his worry and concern coloring his voice.

"Oh," he murmured and pushed himself up before realizing he had an IV line in him. "Is that really necessary?" He looked at the blond nurse.

"It was." She nodded, watching his movements. "If you'll be still I will remove it now, but you will stay on light duty for the rest of the week at least."

"But ...."

"Not buts." She crossed her arms. "Your chest resembled beaten mincemeat under that fur. It's not completely healed yet."

"Yes, ma'am." He dropped his gaze and rotated his arm for the IV to be removed.

"Never argue with medical people." Roberto stage whispered to Kurt. "You can't win. At least its only a week." He said in an attempt to cheer Kurt up.

"A week I'll never hear the end of." He grumbled in an odd form of humor.

"Give it a year or two." Roberto smiled. "At least you didn't get hospitalized during regional finals, like me. Even if you did manage it pretty much the same way."

"I did?" He looked at the teen strangely, not making the connection at all.

"Yep, you kept ignoring your injuries till they wouldn't let you ignore them." He said simply. "Now what could've been fixed easy is a week on light duty. I did the same thing, and ended up with a compound fracture of my lower leg."

"Not fun." Kurt grimaced and hopped off the medical bed lightly, testing his balance and coordination. "Thanks." He said quietly.

"Anytime, Kurt. But don't make it too often or we'll probably both end up in trouble." He teased lightly, as he watched Kurt for any sign of falling.

"You most definitely will." Ms. Sanders said with a light warning tone.

"Right," Kurt nodded and turned to steadily walk out of the med-lab.

"Me and my big mouth." Roberto shook his head in wry humor as he followed Kurt out of the med-lab. Then he decided he didn't want to seem like he was babying Kurt, so he headed toward his room at the first intersection. "See'ya later, Kurt." He said as they went different directions.

"See'ya." Kurt waved back, his focus largely on shutting his stomach up.

* * *

"Hay, Sunspot!" Kitty called to him as she ran threw a hallway wall to catch up after he'd turned the corner.

"Hi, Kitty." Roberto smiled, as he slowed down to let her catch up.

"How'd it go?" She asked, bouncing slightly in anticipation of good gossip.

"How did what go?" He asked, looking at her curiously.

"Oh, man, you didn't say anything?" She rolled her eyes. "You two were alone _forever_."

"Kitty, he was unconscious most of the time." He chuckled. "I could've said anything I like, and it wouldn't have made a difference. And that's really not a subject I wanted to bring up in front of the nurse. Even if she did caution me not to be _too_ playful with him for the next few days." He shook his head in amusement.

"Between the two of you, I can hardly blame her. He's an impossibly playful ball of energy." She grinned as they walked along. "And you really should see the _look_ on your face when you're scoping him out.

"I'm not that bad." Roberto protested innocently. "Am I?" He grinned sheepishly.

"As bad as Scott, at least." She giggled. "I can't believe you got your hands on him and didn't _try_ anything."

"Kitty! He was in pain, and in need of medical attention." Roberto shook his head in disbelief. "I had to settle for watching Ms. Sanders remove his shirt." He chuckled in amusement.

"Not a bad second," she grinned. "But he's up and about now. I just saw him in the kitchen."

"I know, I was there when he woke up." Roberto nodded. "But I don't want to seem like I'm mothering him, and if I followed him there from medical that's exactly what it would look like."

Kitty just made a face. "I do not want to know about a mother who wants to get her hands in her son's pants. I'm sure a kiss would change that opinion fast if he thought it."

"He doesn't know about that." Roberto shook his head. "And I'm sure it would, though I'm not sure for better or worse." He finished quietly.

"Roberto, he's more interested in being cared for than exactly what cares." She said more softly and fairly seriously and turned to face the other teen. "Seriously, a touch is worth a lot of words with him."

"Well, at least one of us doesn't have issues on that score." He said quietly. "Perhaps mother was right. It's not who you love, but _that_ you love. Father, of course, would have a fit." He shook his head.

" _We_ will deal with you father." She promised in a tone that sounded more like Storm or Wolverine's promise of solidarity at any price than herself. "You worry about Kurt."

"Like he's going to take time away from his business to come here." Roberto snorted. "But thanks just the same."

"Now go kiss him already." She grinned, all bubbly again.

"Have you and Rahne been conspiring about this?" Roberto asked with a chuckle.

"Me, Rahne, Jean, Logan ... now _that_ was a strange moment, let me tell you ... pretty much everybody who has eyes." She smirked.

"And here I thought I was being subtle and discrete." Roberto chuckled in wry amusement. "Seems the only person who didn't notice is Kurt."

"Trust me, Kurt is so convinced no one could possibly want him like that that nothing short _of_ kissing him is likely to register." She sighed softly. "Believe me, it's been tried and I had to listen to the fallout from both sides."

"Well, that's good to know." Roberto smiled. "Saves me from repeating what's been tried already. Never would've occurred to me that that was the problem."

"I know." Kitty said softly. "Not many people see past the form." She added from experience. It had taken her a while too, to see her playful friend as more than strange looking. Most mutants at least _looked_ human, after all.

"Yeah, I was kind of surprised the first time I saw him without the hologram." Roberto admitted. "But the personality is what I fell in love with, the rest kind of grew on me, especially those eyes of his." He smiled fondly.

"But don't forget the tail," she grinned impishly. "The uses that must have ...."

"I can see someone's been thinking about it." Roberto teased playfully. "More than I have."

"Umm ..." she blushed a bit. "Just go for it, okay?"

"I will try." Roberto said simply, not wanting to commit to any particular course of action. It wasn't that what she said didn't make sense, it did but it amounted to something that would certainly get him slapped if tried with most girls, and he had no idea how things worked when it came to guys.

"Good," she smiled and phased out. "He deserves someone." Kitty added before she dropped out of sight threw the floor.

"That much is certain." Roberto agreed quietly, as he turned and headed back toward the kitchen. He walked in to what looked like an empty room, until a glance up caught a bit of dark blue that wasn't usually there.

"Hi, Kurt." Roberto said casually as he headed for the refrigerator to grab a soda. Finding his friend hanging from the ceiling hadn't quite figured in what minimal plans he had made.

"Hi," he smiled back after swallowing a bite and brought a glass of milk up from the counter to drink. As natural as it was for Kurt, it looked almost impossible to more gravity aware people.

"You must be feeling better, if you're up there." Roberto grinned, as he took as seat at the table.

"I slept for over a _day_ ," he pouted impishly and dropped from the ceiling, flipping midair to land up his feet without spilling the milk or sandwich. "Hard not to feel better."

"You needed it." Roberto smiled warmly.

"I guess so," he shrugged a bit. "Did you miss dinner too?"

"Yeah, I wasn't paying attention." He chuckled lightly and caught the flick of Kurt's tail that opened the fridge.

"Just avoid the multicolored whatever," he cracked a grin and motioned to a container. "Kitty's been cooking again."

"Shouldn't she keep that to one of the science labs?" He chuckled, and got up to fix himself a sandwich. "Reminds me of my brother's few attempts at cooking."

"I think it got kicked out for biohazard reasons." He snickered. "Know what's scary? She's getting better."

"In that case, I'm glad I wasn't here when she started." He chuckled as he quickly put the sandwich together and sat back down. "Sounds like it was hazardous, to one's stomach."

"Still is," Kurt smirked, relaxing against the counter as he ate, mindful of how it tended to weird everyone out when he did it upside down.

"She means well, even if the execution still needs work." Roberto shook his head. "Very unique mistakes she makes."

"That's one way to put it," he snickered. "Scary would be another."

"Especially if you're around right after they come out of the oven." Roberto chuckled.

"And you own her one," he rolled yellow eyes expressively. "It's cruel and unusual punishment."

"I guess you just have to make sure if you're going to owe her one, it's for something that's really worth it." Roberto chuckled, realizing that he was probably going to end up owing Kitty for her advice.

"Yeah," he nodded and turned to dig in the fridge, giving Roberto an excellent view of his ass and how his tail flowed from the tightly muscular backside.

It was a view that Roberto definitely appreciated, and it reminded him that he was supposed to be doing something other than make small talk. Hoping that Kitty was right in her analysis, he got up and walked over to the fridge next to Kurt. Of course, once he got there he developed a serious case of nerves, which felt a lot like the first time he'd asked a girl out.

"Want one?" Kurt offered the apple he'd pulled out as he stood up.

"Not really what I came over here for." Roberto smiled shyly, and then slipped one arm around his fuzzy blue friend to pull him into a kiss, that while gentle, left no doubt as to it the emotion behind it.

Kurt froze, body and mind.

Roberto could see how huge those yellow eyes went, the shock and confusion and disbelief in them. For all he saw though, what he did not see, or feel, was rejection, denial ... or even refusal.

But neither was there acceptance. Certainly not any form of understanding as their lips parted and Kurt stood there, not twitching a muscle as he tried to make sense of what had just happened.

"Best way I could think to show you how I feel about you, Kurt." Roberto said quietly. "That's why I sat with you most of that day you slept through. I care for you, a lot, more than just friends or teammates."

It drew another blank look, despite the way Kurt nodded acceptance of it and leaned forward to touch their mouths again; light, uncertain, inexperienced, but willing in a way that wasn't quite right.

"Guess I'm not explaining this really well." Roberto said quietly after the brief kiss. "I love you, Kurt." He said, running one hand gently along his friend's furry blue cheek. "That happens between guys, same way it does between guys and girls."

The look that crossed Kurt's face was an unsettling mixture of completely not getting it, not actually caring if he did and wanting more of what his body was feeling quite a bit.

Roberto decided talk could wait till later and claimed another kiss, while holding his friend close. The feeling of blue fur was soft where it touched his skin, different but quite pleasurable. His body thrilled when Kurt slid his arms around him, the strong tail not far behind as the two fingers hands moved further up his back.

As he watched and they kissed, Kurt's eyes slid closed and his body relaxed, submitting fully and willingly to the contact. Roberto was on a high he usually only reached when fully energized. Holding Kurt his arms with his hands gently caressing the lean muscular back as they kissed, he realized that he really did owe Kitty one for this.

As their mouths parted, Kurt slid his head down to rest in the crook of Roberto's neck, his heart pounding and body more demanding that he could remember. A small part of him was wondering just what he was getting into, but it felt far too good really question yet. Far, far too good.

Roberto just stood holding Kurt close, and stroking his hair with one hand. He really wasn't sure what came next, but it didn't seem that important right at the moment. The teenager was far too jazzed to really worry about anything.

"Kurt, we should take this somewhere more private." Roberto suggested gently when Kurt showed no indications of doing anything but stand where he was.

Yellow eyes flicked up at him, uncertain and with a trace of worried confusion, but still willing to go along. "Umm, okay." He said quietly, more nervous about breaking the contact and starting to think again than anything the statement or agreement could imply.

"It's just what people do. Making out in the kitchen tends to lead to unnecessary teasing." He said gently. "Just changing where, not stopping." He said reassuringly. "Either of our rooms would be good."

Kurt nodded, slightly more sure of that logic at least, and grinned a bit before they vanished to Roberto's room. "Better?" He asked a bit impishly.

"Just what I had in mind." Roberto grinned broadly. "Including how to get here." He added before claiming another gentle kiss that was relaxed into. Despite being able to feel the arousal in Kurt's body, the blue youth wasn't making any action on it.

"Good," he grinned a bit. "Now what?"

"More making out, maybe some cuddling?" Roberto suggested, not really being sure since he'd never gone any further even with the few girls he'd dated.

"If you want to." He smiled shyly, dropping his eyes even as his heart began to pound for real, this time from a mixture of euphoria and half realized fear.

"If we both want to." Roberto said gently. "I know I want to." He smiled, and brushed his hand along Kurt's cheek, drawing those yellow eyes up for a brief glance. "No one I want to be with more."

Kurt nodded, blushing lightly under dark fur and darker skin. Even not understanding the why, he liked the effect. He liked being touched a lot. It woke a hunger in him he'd never really noticed before, one that scared him in the moments he wasn't in heaven.

"Good." Roberto smiled, as he drew Kurt into another kiss, while slowly moving them back toward his bed. "We could always cuddle and make out at the same time." He grinned playfully.

"That works," Kurt grinned mischievously and teleported them to the bed, ending up on top of Roberto, and grinned down at the teen he straddled.

"Very cute, Elf." He chuckled and pulled Kurt into another kiss while his hands caressed the lean muscular back.

Kurt shivered slightly, turned on and reveling in the contact even as he stretched out to slide to one side and pressed his face against Roberto's neck. As good as it felt, the abrupt reminder he was with another guy was unsettling.

Roberto shuddered slightly in pleasure at the feeling of Kurt's fur against the skin of his neck. He was more turned on then he'd been in a long time, and though part of him was rebelling against the idea of being turned on by a guy, it was overwhelmed by the part that thrilled to having Kurt in his arms.


	3. Awkward Moments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roberto works up the courage to talk to Kurt again and all does not go well for him.

"Hi, Kurt." Roberto said quietly, as he came up to his fuzzy blue friend in an otherwise unoccupied corridor.

"Oh, hi, Roberto." He spun around and blinked, clearly startled by the greeting.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you." Roberto smiled. "I just needed to talk to you, about what happened the other day."

Kurt nodded and turned to face him fully, the questions showing in his yellow eyes even more than yesterday.

"I just need to know if you're okay with what happened." Roberto asked quietly, clearly worried. It had taken him the better part of a day and a half to decide that he was okay with it.

"Sure I am," he blinked, more than a touch surprised. "Aren't you?"

"Yeah, but you seemed pretty confused and I just wanted to check." He smiled softly. "And to see if you're going to be interested in doing it again." He grinned shyly.

"I ... I'm not sure." Kurt shook his head and dropped eye contact completely. "Maybe later." He murmured, looking almost ready to bolt.

"I didn't mean right this minute." Roberto said reassuringly. "I just meant, at some point." He finished quietly.

"Maybe," Kurt consented, more to himself than to his teammate. He knew he'd be drawn back to that feeling sooner or later, probably sooner. As frightening as it was, it felt so good to be held.

"Okay." Roberto said, doing his best to hide his disappointment. "See you around." He said heading toward his room. He heard the distinctive sound of Kurt's teleport before he'd made even a few steps.

* * *

"I thought you were on light duty." Logan regarded the acrobatic display Kurt was putting on for no one but himself and his frustrations.

"I am." The youth replied without a break in the highly energetic pattern of twists, flips and teleports that would have surely drawn a stern warning from their naturally sweet tempered and terminally patient nurse-healer.

"I'm sure Ms. Sanders would disagree." He observed the obvious. As much as he understood Kurt's reaction, the teen wasn't him and definitely didn't have the healing factor to be doing this kind of workout so soon. Logan was sure of that much.

"I feel fine, Logan." Kurt replied in the middle of a series of twisting teleports that looked to be the beginning of a new combat routine of impressive potential.

"I'm sure, squirt." He shook his head and retreated a bit to watch from out of Kurt's perception range for a while.

Logan eventually left, shaking his head. Between Kurt's unusual level of need to prove himself and whatever the teen was facing over Roberto's actions was turning into a real mess. One he was sure he'd end up dealing with. He didn't need any psychic powers to tell Storm, Hank and Charles were decidedly unsuited for this particular situation.

Besides, the elf's craving for acceptance was something that would have to be dealt with, and quickly, or they'd loose him to the first outsider that figured out to make him feel at home.

* * *

"Roberto?" Kurt's voice was low, tired and unsteady in the darkness of the other teen's room after five nights apart.

"Kurt?" Roberto asked in slightly groggy surprise.

"Yeah," the teen's voice was low and a bit hesitant. "Mind if I stay tonight?"

"No, of course not." Roberto smiled in the darkness and listened as his nearly silent teammate walked across the dark room. "I'd like that, actually." He added as he felt the bed sink with the extra weight on it.

"Good," Kurt whispered and slipped under the covers to settle against Roberto. Though he wasn't completely relaxed, a fair amount of the tension drained from his athletic body.

"This is good." Roberto whispered, as he ran one hand through the dark blue fur of Kurt's cheek.

The tension, the draining of it, closed those yellow eyes and made Kurt press close, the clothes covering his body a barrier between the pair that was at once not nearly enough and far too much.

As gentle as Roberto's touch was, it was nearly more than Kurt could take.

"Just rest, lay here." He whispered.

"Okay, Kurt." Roberto agreed quietly, willing to take things at whatever speed his friend could handle. As difficult as it was, he'd keep his hands to himself as his friend curled against his side.

"Thanks," he murmured, his eyes still closed as he pressed close and succumbed to sleep as the relaxing nature of the contact overcame his discomfort with it, and what hand drawn him here again.

It took Roberto a bit longer to fall asleep, since Kurt's presence was both comforting and distracting. Eventually he started going over the lecture from math class in his mind, which , as usual, put him right to sleep.

* * *

It took Roberto a brief moment to figure out who the warm body in his bed was, and why. But once grogginess gave way, he smiled at the sleeping fuzzy blue guy in his bed. So far it had been a very odd relationship, and that wasn't likely change. But Roberto wouldn't have traded it for anything, he was way too hooked on Kurt for that.

And the fact that Kurt had come to him this time, completely on his own from the sound of things, and spoken up about what he wanted and didn't ... as difficult as it was to respect those wishes, they were good too.

Kurt had come to him. There was little point debating whether or not the other youth had some desires to be here, right where he was.

However, those wishes meant that Roberto had to just lie there and wait, as much as he really wanted to gently run his hand through the soft blue fur, and gently kiss his friend good morning. But anything worth having was worth waiting for, this wasn't any different.

At least he didn't have long to wait. Kurt stretched out well before he was really awake, his training clicking on line to tense his entire body, ready for a fight or teleport as he put together what was going on.

Roberto waited till he thought Kurt was actually awake. "'Morning, Kurt." He said gently, trying not to startle Kurt into teleporting reflexively.

"Morning," he murmured back as his body relaxed and he finished his stretch, flexing every muscle in his body without moving more than a few inches.

"Did you sleep well?" Roberto asked softly, as he watched Kurt work through his stretching without hardly moving routine. He never tired of watching the athletic blue form, especially up close like this.

"Better than in ages." He said quietly, almost an admission in tone. "You?"

"Very well." Roberto smiled warmly, only a very light hint of surprise in his voice.

"Good." Kurt replied, not really sure what else to say, or do. He didn't feel like moving, he knew that much, but he didn't really feel like being still either.

"This is a definite improvement in morning." Roberto grinned, still reluctant to touch after Kurt's request the night before.

"Yeah, it is." he murmured, lying fairly still against the other teen.

"Nice thing about the weekend, being able to lie in bed and not worry about being late." Roberto murmured quietly, before gently slipping his arms around Kurt to hold him gently. He figured that should be okay, it certainly seemed like the right thing to be doing and the relaxed reaction of the body he was snuggled with was a good indication Kurt didn't mind.

"I'm never late." He chuckled softly. "Even if I don't manage to get to the car before it pulls out."

"Some of us actually have to make it to the car." Roberto chuckled. "I'm pretty sure flying to school would break several rules, in addition to being a bad idea."

"Yeah, being seen wouldn't be good."

"No kidding." Roberto shook his head. "That was one rule I didn't have to learn here. My first use was _such_ a disaster."

"I bet." Kurt murmured quietly at the unintentional reminder that even in this most basic of mutant stories he wasn't like the others.

"I'm just glad it happened during a match with a small school." He said quietly. "No media, so it never really spread outside that town." He sighed as the guilt from that loss of control hit him again. He wasn't sure it would ever go away.

"That probably saved your life."

"Probably, or at least saved me a lot of running." He sighed and then shook his head. "Fortunately, Mom knew the Professor from when they were both at some university."

"Which landed you here."

"Pretty much. Mom didn't think Dad could handle me being a mutant, and she was probably right." He chuckled. "She usually is. But it's all worked out great so far, especially lately." He added with a warm smile for Kurt.

"It doesn't seem like many parents can." He shrugged a bit. "Or many _people_."

"People tend to be afraid of what they don't understand." Roberto shrugged. "And it doesn't help that they're are jerks out there like the Brotherhood, that people should be afraid of."

"No, it doesn't." Kurt sighed softly and closed his eyes, soaking in the contact as he struggled with the conflict between staying where it felt good and his drive to _move_.

"But what's important is that we've got somewhere we do fit in." Roberto smiled, though a glance down warned him that his friend didn't particularly feel like he did right now.

"Yes," Kurt whispered, memories of his first day at school with the holoprojector racing through his head. Even after months, it was still a euphoric rush to not rate a second glance on his looks.

"Speaking of fitting in. Did you choose the image on your holoprojector?" Roberto asked with casual curiosity.

"Not really." Kurt said quietly, remembering back to the only time he'd seen the man smile and cringing inwardly that it had been about making him look like a girl. "The Professor designed it."

"He's got good taste then 'cause that image is seriously cute." He smiled. "Not as good as the real you, but still cute."

"Right," he murmured. There were moments in memory he hated the man's sense of humor, and even more so because Xavier could feel the fallout of it. He must have reacted much differently in that moment than he felt now.

"Well, I'd rather have the real you anyway." Roberto said softly, but quite serious. He wasn't sure what to make of the odd flicker of muscles any more than Kurt really knew what to make of the statement.

"Thanks." He finally settled on.

"You're welcome." He said gently. After what Kitty had said, he figured that reassurance probably didn't hurt. Of course, he was rapidly running out of things to say in bed. "So, any plans for today?" He asked, just looking for something to talk about.

"Avoiding Logan, mostly." He shrugged. "Try not to go stir crazy on light duty."

"Why avoiding Logan?" Roberto asked curiously.

"Cause I haven't been taking light duty seriously and he is." He shrugged. "Caught me in the gym last night."

"Like he should talk." Roberto shook his head. "He wouldn't be any better about light duty ... assuming he could actually be injured in some way that that would apply to."

"That does not excuse _me_ from ignoring it." Kurt muttered softly, though there was a kind of amused fondness in his tone. "I was staying out of the danger room."

"No, but he should understand." Roberto chuckled lightly. "Let me guess, you were working just as hard in the gym as you would have in the danger room."

"Not anywhere close. I was just playing on the rings." he pouted. "It was still too hard.

"Well, the rings is pretty strenuous for someone whose chest just got patched up." He smirked. "But I know what you mean, I was getting out of bed when I shouldn't have after my leg was patched up. It's hard to rest, when you're used to being active."

"Ja," he grumbled. "It didn't hurt."

"But nobody listens, especially since they know that you'll ignore pain and keep on going." Roberto said understandingly. "It's like they're trying to make a point, by forcing you to slow down and take it easy."

"Good for them." Kurt shrugged and abruptly rolled out of bed and walked over to the wide window to look out at the sun drenched estate, too restless to stay in the warmth of the contact.

"Yeah, that's what I said too." Roberto chuckled, and got up to stand next to him. "Nice day out. Probably a good day to get some work done on that Biology project." He grumbled resignedly. "I will be so glad when the botany unit is done."

Kurt could only groan. "We could make short work of it together, though."

"That's true." Roberto smiled. "Only kill half as much of our day."

"That and together we can cheat and use out powers to speed things up," he grinned a bit more like himself. "As long as nobody _sees_ us doing it."

"Exactly, and the woods here around the mansion should be a great place to find plants." Roberto grinned.

"They are," Kurt ducked his head slightly in a sort of embarrassed grin. "All sorts of interesting ones."

"Let's try to avoid finding poison ivy, at least by accident." Roberto grinned.

"And poison oak." He scratched an arm in memory. "Not fun. Especially with the fur.

"Ah, that one too. Though poison oak is more visible than poison ivy." Roberto nodded. "Once you know what to look for that is."

"Then lets grab breakfast and get it over with." Kurt cracking a playful grin and vanished with his customary puff of smoke.

Roberto chuckled and raced down to the kitchen to catch up with his fuzzy blue teammate.


	4. Reality Checks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Logan's simple question about the location of a wayward blue elf sets off an interesting discussion, and one the Roberto never expected to hear.

"Has anyone seen the elf?" Logan asked in the general bustle of a weekend afternoon in the mansion's main rec room.

"I thought I saw him and Roberto headed out this morning." Jean commented from the middle of a fairly intense ping-pong game with Scott. "Looked like they were headed for the woods."

"Probably looking for some privacy." Rahne giggled from where she was watching the big screen TV.

"Privacy for what?" Bobby Drake wondered curiously, most of his attention on the pinball game.

"You're joking, right?" Jamie Madrox stared at him from the TV couch. "Those two are _so_ a couple."

"Kurt and Roberto, a couple?" Bobby looked back at him blankly. "Seriously?" He asked in a tone that implied a fairly complete lack of comprehension.

"Oh man, how could you _miss_ that?" Kitty stared at him. "Roberto's got it for Kurt as bad as Scott does for Jean."

"But they're both guys." Bobby replied, a bit confused, though it was more of not knowing confusion, than an actually having a problem with it confusion.

"Bub, guys do guys and girls do girls same as guys and girls." Logan supplied and shook his head with a bit of a chuckle.

"Oh." Was all Bobby could manage to say. He was a more than a bit surprised, but if Logan didn't have a problem with it, it was probably okay. The older X-man wasn't one to argue with without a very good reason at any rate.

"I think someone just got a reality update." Berzerker chuckled.

Bobby blushed and buried his attention in the pinball machine.

"Ooo, what'd we miss?" Kurt's mischievous voice called in from the door, his attention focused on the blushing Iceman.

"There you are." Logan turned to take the pair in with all his senses.

"If the Iceman's burning up, it must've been good." Roberto chuckled from next to Kurt.

"He just blanked on how you two could be a couple." Kitty supplied with a grin. "Have fun in the woods by yourselves?" She winked teasingly.

"Certainly, more fun than alone." Roberto smiled, not really sure that science project could be considered truly fun, even with Kurt as company.

"Faster too." The blue teen added with a bit less spunk, not at all sure what to make of the way Logan was looking at them. "What? I behaved."

"I can smell that." He raised an eyebrow at the pair.

"Must be that patch of wild mint we fell into." Roberto said uncertainly, not sure what Logan was talking about. They'd found the mint patch kind of accidentally, by falling into it.

Rahne wasn't so slow on the uptake. "You two spent the night together, and all morning alone in the woods, and didn't _do_ anything?"

"We did a lot." Roberto grinned, and held out the two bags with their required plant samples. "We finished the whole botany project."

Kitty groaned and dropped her face to one hand, shaking her head. "Are you sure you don't need a primer, guys?"

"Um, no. The project wasn't nearly as hard as I expected, between the two of us." Roberto said with a curious look at Kitty, not entirely sure what she was getting at.

Rahne and Kitty stared at the pair like they'd lost their minds.

"Oh man, you two _do_ need a primer." Kitty snickered after a groan.

"Right." Logan nodded and walked out of the room, shaking his head. "Teens not interested in sex. _What_ is the world coming too?"

"What does sex have to do with the botany project?" Roberto asked, feeling a little like Alice when she fell down the rabbit hole.

"Umm, nothing." Kurt whispered to him, slowly backing out of the doorway. "It has to do with us being alone and what those two have been up to."

"Oh, I see." Roberto blinked and started to back out as well. "Well, never crossed my mind." He added, which was true enough. Between focusing on the project and just enjoying time with Kurt, he hadn't been thinking that at all.

"You really don't know what comes next." Logan stated more than asked as he leaned against the hallway wall, watching the pair.

"Not really." Roberto admitted a bit sheepishly. Of course, Logan was most definitely not the person he wanted to be talking about this with. It led to too many thoughts that were really distracting.

Kurt apparently felt even more strongly about it, as the blue teen was gone in a puff of smoke before Roberto had even finished the thought.

"I see." Logan raised an eyebrow at him and the smoke. "You may wish to change that before the girls decide to educate you. I can hear them plotting."

"I think we've got a little work to do on the relationship first." Roberto shook his head. "Like deciding if there is one. I'm still not sure where Kurt is on that."

"He spent the night with you." He pointed out with a shrugged. "It doesn't hurt to know where you _could_ be going before trying to decide where to go. Sex _is_ a rather basic part of being boyfriends, you know."

"I imagine so." Roberto said quietly. "But that night was strictly hands off. And as for being boyfriends, I'm not convinced he sees it that way." He said quietly. "The only thing I'm convinced of, is that he likes the physical contact."

"Could be worse," Logan nodded a bit gruffly. "He could have decked you for that stunt in the kitchen instead of coming to your bed, twice."

"Yeah, he could have." Roberto shrugged. "And yeah, things could be worse, but honestly I don't think they're moving anywhere near as fast as people want to think. And I'm not rushing things, 'cause its pretty clear that Kurt needs time to get used this."

"Don't forget what _you_ want out of this, kid." Logan reminded him. "If Kurt's so unsure, you really need to know what you want."

"Yeah, I'm entirely confident about feelings I didn't even have before I got here." Roberto shook his head.

"Just don't forget yourself in this equation." Logan told him and turned to leave.

"I won't." Roberto nodded, and turned to head back to his room. The last thing he'd expected today was to be getting relationship advice from Logan.

* * *

Roberto lay on his bed for couple hours after talking with Logan, just thinking about everything the older man had said. He was very uncertain about things lately, especially things involving Kurt. He knew what he wanted, but he wasn't convinced Kurt was comfortable enough with what was happening to actually admit that they were boyfriends.

The athletic teen rolled over on to his back to stare at the ceiling. Maybe Logan was right about one thing, it wouldn't hurt to find out where things could go, even if they never got there. But first he needed to talk to Kurt, see if he'd managed to calm down.

Roberto wasn't entirely surprised to find his fuzzy blue friend in the gym, being decidedly not on light duty as he worked out on the gymnastic equipment. He leaned against one wall watched the lean athletic form work out, and smiled to himself.

"Logan finish with you?" Kurt asked quietly when he teleported down, landing next to Roberto.

"Yeah." Roberto nodded. "That was bizarre, getting relationship advice from Logan. I would've expected it from the Professor, but did not see it coming from him."

"We should finish the biology project then." He sighed and headed into the corridor without a cool down routine.

"You okay, Kurt?" Roberto asked gently as they walked. "You seemed kind of freaked out there in the hallway."

"Sure, I'm fine." He brushed it off. "I'm just not interested in the details of gay sex. Especially not from him."

"Well, I think half the team going to be trying to give us details. " Roberto grumbled. "I have to admit though, I didn't want the details from him either. If I really want to know, I can surf the web as well as anybody else."

Kurt nodded. "They should focus on Scott and Jean. They're the pair trying to date outsiders instead of each other." He shrugged and picked up his bag of specimens.

"Apparently, they see a need to make sure that if we're dating, we're doing it right." He shook his head. "Apparently, we're going too slow." He said in disbelief.

"Too bad for them." Kurt bristled slightly, not even sure himself why he objected so much beyond it made him feel cornered and pushed into things.

"Kurt, don't worry about what they think." Roberto said reassuringly. "There's only two people whose opinions matter; yours and mine."

It didn't seem to reassure the teen much, but Kurt nodded. "Let's get this project finished."

"Okay." Roberto agreed, dropping it. It never seemed to matter what he said, which made him wonder if Kurt was even listening to him.


	5. Hard Questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Logan's simple question about the location of a wayward blue elf sets off an interesting discussion, and one the Roberto never expected to hear.

Roberto was wide awake when Kurt popped into the room that night. He'd been thinking a lot about what was going on between them. Mostly he'd decided that he wasn't going to figure out what was going on without a more direct approach. He figured the worst that happened was that Kurt stopped coming by at night, and considering just how confusing that was currently, it was something he could live with.

"Kurt?" Roberto said quietly, once his fuzzy blue teammate had gotten settled under the covers and snuggled against him. "What do want from this? From what's going on between us?" He asked as gently as he could, but even under the best of circumstances it was an awkward question.

The pause was long and uncertain before Kurt finally answered, his voice not all that confident. "Warmth."

"I mean long-term, not just tonight." Roberto said gently. "Do you want a relationship?" He asked quietly, more than a little afraid of the answer.

Kurt was even more quiet, the tension in his body telegraphing his unease and uncertainty. "Maybe." He finally settled on. "I don't know."

"Not really sure about relationships?" Roberto asked gently, realizing that on at least one level, he wasn't sure either.

"I never saw a point." He murmured quietly, his eyes closed as he rested against Roberto's chest and side. "Not like I am."

"There's nothing wrong with the way you are." Roberto said sincerely. "Nothing at all. Just because some people don't appreciate you, doesn't mean there's something wrong with you. Doesn't mean that at all." He said, speaking from his heart.

"It's nothing to pass on." He whispered. "I could never ... inflict ... this on a child. It wouldn't be right." He sighed softly. "That's what it's for, the children." He tried to explain something he'd never bothered to really analyze, only felt in his soul.

"Relationships are as much for the people in them, as for children." He said quietly. "There are many loving, devoted couples who don't have children, for many reasons." He added gently. "Not wanting children, for whatever reason, is no reason to deny yourself the opportunity to love and be loved."

Kurt had no reply to that. It didn't seem right, for all he knew it was true for many, but neither could he come up with anything to refute the statement that he hadn't already said.

"Guess what I'm trying to say, is that you deserve to be loved, and you shouldn't keep everyone at arms length, emotionally speaking." He finished quietly, running out things to say. He really wasn't trying to lecture, but he felt what he was saying very strongly.

"Perhaps." Was as much as Kurt could bring himself to consent to this alien concept. He couldn't help but wonder if they were talking about completely different things. Either that, or they were raised so differently it was hard to wrap his mind around it.

Roberto sighed, and closed his eyes attempting to sleep. He wasn't sure what else to say, he wasn't sure how to explain something that seemed obvious to him, yet totally foreign to Kurt. Maybe sleep would give him some ideas.

* * *

He woke to the confusion of pleasure and an affectionate touch playing across his chest even as a thick-fingered hand cupped the full morning hard-on concealed by his boxers.

"Kurt?" Roberto said uncertainly, as the morning fog lifted from his brain slowly. It wasn't that he didn't like what was happening, he did, but he was having a hard time believing it was happening.

"Mmm?" The other teen's voice came back, highly distracted as fingers and tail continued their exploration.

"Just making sure I'm awake." Roberto said quietly, as his hand reached out to brush Kurt's cheek gently and felt him shiver lightly and lean into the contact. Encouraged, he ran his other hand down Kurt's back caressing the lean athletic body through his uniform.

He could feel Kurt respond, arching slightly and pressing against his side. It was easy to feel Kurt's arousal against his leg as the other teen's tail and hand continued to touch. He shuddered slightly pressing into Kurt's touch, as his hand slid around to the front of Kurt's uniform to cup his friend's crotch with a gentle touch.

It drew a low sound of pleasure as Kurt arched fully into the contact, his eyes closed and mouth open slightly as he shivered in the new sensations.

Roberto leaned close, and claimed a brief, gentle kiss as his hands continued caressing Kurt. "Probably would feel better, without the uniform." He suggested gently, as their lips parted.

After a moment's hesitation, he nodded and draw a bit away to squirm out, though he used the blankets to cover himself as he moved closer, much more hesitant about the contact now. Much more nervous.

"It'll be okay, Kurt." Roberto said gently, as he reached under the cover to gently touch Kurt's chest. "You don't need to hide from me." He added quietly.

"It's not hiding," he said through a sharp breath at the touch and hesitantly reached out to mimic the touch.

"Okay." Roberto agreed easily, as he leaned into the touch with a pleasured shudder, as he moved his hand to caress the furry blue chest gently. "I forget people are used to wearing more in this climate." He grinned sheepishly and was on the receiving end of a slightly confused look, though Kurt was clearly more interested in being touched.

"Not important." He chuckled, and slowly moved his hand from Kurt's chest down to his abs caressing as he went. It was quite enough to break whatever concentration Kurt had and his body stilled to soak in the touch wherever it took him. The low sounds and quickening breath left little doubt that he was enjoying it.

Deciding he'd show Kurt how good it could feel to let someone else touch him, Roberto slowly worked his hand down until his hand was gently fondling Kurt's cock and balls. At the same time he claimed a loving kiss, mostly because it instinctively seemed the right thing to do.

Kurt's cries, sounds of surprise and pleasure and want, mirrored his body's responses, the hard flesh and soft skin pulsing and twitching in Roberto's hand. It was all Kurt could do to stay where he was, his face pressed against Roberto's shoulder as the intensity of it threatening to shake his desire to stay in place and enjoy it. Roberto brought his other arm around Kurt to hold him close as he continued pleasuring his friend with gentle caresses. He was hoping the pleasure would keep any of Kurt's reflexive teleporting from happening.

It was only a few moments before Kurt stiffened, his cries taking on a sharp, nearly desperate edge. His tail lashed wildly behind him under the blankets with the first pulse of sticky white liquid that splashed between them.

Roberto slowed the pace of his stroking, stopping when Kurt stopped coming. He removed his hand, and then kissed Kurt gently as his friend remembered how to breathe.

"Wow," he finally managed to whisper, trembling slightly as he pressed close.

"Glad you liked that." Roberto smiled gently, as he held Kurt close as the teen cool off enough to think again.

"It always like that?"

"It always feels good, yeah." Roberto smiled. "I'd guess it probably gets a little less intense with time."

"Oh," Kurt whispered, breathing deeply and reached more hesitantly to run his fingers along the full erection still behind cloth and tried to ignore the cooling mess he'd created himself.

"Yeah, like that." Roberto murmured encouragingly, as his cock hardened under the boxers. As the fabric tented, the tip of his cock peeked out. It took Kurt a bit to work up to pushing the fabric down and wrap his hand around the full shaft, stroking as he did on himself when he was alone.

"Oh, yeah." Roberto moaned in pleasure, as his cock began to pulse and his arousal built to the point of no return. It didn't take long before he bucked his hips, and sprayed his seed between them. As he slowly came down, he pulled Kurt close and claimed another kiss. "Damn that was good." He murmured softly as their seed mingled between them. "Definitely better than solo."

"Yeah, it was." He smiled shyly.

"Always wondered what it would be like with someone else." Roberto admitted with a shy smile.

Kurt glanced up, uncertainty and surprise on his sharp features. "I tried not to think about it too much."

"Didn't think you find someone to try with?" He asked gently.

"The way I look?" He asked in a mixture of surprise and incredulousness. "What girl would want anything to do with me? No even Kitty goes that far."

"Oh, I wouldn't put it past Kitty." Roberto chuckled remembering what Kitty had started describing to him. "And I guess you're right, people willing to see the whole person are rare. Not that there's anything wrong with the way you look, at least in my opinion."

"She ... you wouldn't?"

"No, I wouldn't." He chuckled. "I probably shouldn't be advertising the competition, but I got the impression she thinks about you as much as I do."

Kurt could only stare at him, somewhere between shocked and trying to convince himself it wasn't a particularly mean joke.

"She's been trying to get _us_ together." He stammered.

"Yes, she has." He smiled. "Her and Rahne, and a bunch others. I'm not sure I understand the logic exactly, but I'm not complaining. Of course, she still has her eye on Avalanche periodically. I do not claim to understand the female mind all that well." He grinned. "And I was not joking, I wouldn't tease you about something like this ... it would be too mean."

"Kein Witz," he shook his head. "But she's a good friend."

"That's probably why she's trying to get _us_ together." He smiled. "Sometimes friends become more than that." He added quietly.

Kurt could only nod, not having an experience to back it up or refute it.

"Well, maybe now they'll stop offering to give us pointers." Roberto shook his head.

"I doubt it, somehow." He chuckled weakly and started to squirm out. "We made quite a mess of ourselves."

"I think that's normal." Roberto chuckled. "Guess a shower would be a good idea. However, it's a pretty good way to start the day." He grinned playfully.

Kurt ducked his head, blushing under his blue fur. "No, it's not, really." He managed as his tail snagged his uniform and he turned towards the bathroom attached to Roberto's room. "I ... ummm ... should I go to my own room?" He asked uncertainly, torn inside as to which he wanted.

"You don't have to." Roberto smiled. "It's really up to you. You're welcome to stay."

It made him choose on his own, a choice his nerves got the better of him on. "I'll see you at breakfast." He murmured softly. "Maybe another time."

"Maybe." Roberto smiled encouragingly. "See you at breakfast, then."

Kurt nodded and teleported out with a puff of smoke.


	6. Writing Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roberto writes home again, as Kurt watches.

Rahne smiled knowingly at the pair when they made their separate ways into the kitchen for breakfast, catching Kitty's attention.

"For real?" She whispered to the wolf-girl.

"Kurt's not that good at getting it out of his fur yet." Rahne grinned and happily faded to the background to leave the potentially explosive detail-gathering mission to the bubbly teen.

"You smell good." Kitty was grinning from ear to ear, startling Kurt almost into teleporting away.

"Urrr, thanks." He looked at her sideways, not at all reassured by her grin.

"Morning, Kitty." Roberto smiled as he wandered over next Kurt.

"I hear it was a _very_ good morning for you two." She quipped, making Kurt slip to the side away from her.

"Oh?" Roberto said with a deliberately clueless look. "And who did you hear that from?" He asked curiously, knowing that Kurt wouldn't have said anything.

"Someone with a sharp nose." She grinned at Kurt a bit more. "Apparently fur holds a scent."

"Does it really?" Roberto asked with a chuckle. "I suppose it's possible we had a good morning." He grinned as Kurt ducked a little further away from her with a decidedly wary look.

"How good?" She nearly purred and came close, right inside his space.

"A gentleman does not kiss and tell." Roberto said seriously. "Or anything else and tell either."

"You are _no_ fun at all." Her grin didn't fade in the least but she relaxed back a bit to Kurt's obvious relief, though he still kept a bit of distance.

"Perhaps not." Roberto smiled. "I prefer respecting the other person, over providing entertainment." He shrugged.

"Way too serious too," she affected a pout before the grin was back and they found their seats for the meal.

"Only sometimes." Roberto chuckled and sat down, Kurt choosing to sit next to him, though he remained quiet and wary of the girls.

* * *

Roberto lay down on his bed after his last danger room session to write back to his brother. As usual he was overdue, mostly because he wasn't sure how to answer some of his brother's question. As usual he wrote the letter in Portuguese, just because it was more comfortable that way.

  


> >   
> Hiya, Mikey,
>> 
>> Well, tryouts were today and if I don't make varsity I think there's some payoffs involved. Okay, yeah they've got some decent players but it's just not the same level of competition I'm used to. Bayville is a small suburban district in upstate New York, which means the real sports interests are American football, wrestling and baseball. Soccer is a definite fourth, or maybe fifth after basketball as well.
>> 
>> Yeah, I made a move with Kurt but don't ask me if we're dating or not 'cause I'm not sure. We've made out, but still he's got a really strange concept of relationships. Seems all relationships lead to children as far as he's concerned, and he's really not interested in those. He has his reasons for that, but I still wish there was some way to open up his definition of relationship. Still we spend a fair number of nights together, and sometimes a little more but nothing really serious. If he were anybody else I probably would've given up by now, but I like him too much for that.
>> 
>> I'll work on getting a picture of him, though it may take some doing since he's sensitive about his appearance. I know that sounds strange but it's easier to show than tell, maybe if you can get out here on break some time I can introduce you. I'm sure Mom would pay for the plane ticket, and I could probably get permission for you to use one of the unassigned rooms. I mean, it's not like you don't know what the real deal about the Institute is.  
> 

  


"What are you writing?" Kurt asked from the wall above the head of the bed, watching Roberto write from upside down.

"Letter to my brother." Roberto smiled as he looked up to see Kurt there. "I'm a bit overdue. Won't be much longer, I was just about done."

"No rush," the blue mutant said easily, though there was a real note of wistfulness in his voice as he watched the pen move on paper in a language he didn't even begin to understand.

"That's okay." He smiled. "You're in the letter." He grinned.

  


> >   
> Funny thing is I'm writing this while Kurt sitting on the headboard watching. Of course, his native language is German with English as a second language so the Portuguese probably looks like gibberish.  
>   
> 

"I am?" He perked up instantly, his intent on the strange letter combinations as he did a graceful backflip and landed on the bed to snuggle up and continued to watch over Roberto's shoulder.

"Of course, my brother was interested in knowing how I was getting along here." Roberto smiled. "That invariably leads to questions about if I'm seeing anyone and who. He always asks about cute girls, and I threw in the cute guys." He turned to grin at Kurt, who ducked his head a bit.

  


> >   
> The really weird thing is, that if I wasn't so hung up on him, he'd make a great little brother, despite being about the same age. He's good company, no matter what we're doing.  
>   
> 

"He's really okay with it?"

"He was really surprised when I first told him, but yeah he's okay with it." Roberto smiled. "He's pretty cool that way, same way he was okay with me being a mutant. I'm hoping he'll be able to come and visit on one of his university breaks."

  


> >   
> Could you find out if Mom's expecting to be in the United States anytime soon? I'd like to introduce her to Kurt as well. I think it's important that he know that my family is okay with me seeing him. And try to get me an address and number for Mom if you could, I think I lost mine in moving.  
>   
> 

"Older brother than?" He continued to look at the words, wishing he knew what they said.

"Yep." Roberto grinned. "Three years. He's in his first year of university. He's the one who taught me to play soccer, even if I am much better at it." He chuckled.

"Too bad it's not that respected a sport here." He said quietly and relaxed on the bed, his tail making a lazy pattern on Roberto's leg.

"Still about number five behind American football, baseball, basketball and wrestling, at least at the high school level." He nodded. "But still, universities do look for star players." He smiled. "Sadly, there is no real professional option in the United States." He added quietly, smiling as he enjoyed the feel of Kurt's tail on his leg.

  


> >   
> In retrospect, I'm kind of glad I wrote this in Portuguese. While I'm sure Kurt's aware that we see relationships differently, I'd rather not have him know how much the automatic connection between relationship and kids bugs me.  
>   
> 

"You're planning to leave?" Yellow eyes shot up, a mixture of surprise, confusion and uncertainty in them.

"I'm not sure now." Roberto admitted. "I'd always planned to play soccer professionally, but now things have changed and I'm not sure. I'm also not sure how university will work, with the Institute and all." He admitted. "And there are other reasons to want to stay." He added softly, with a warm smile for the other teen.

Kurt could only nod, the statement clearly giving him a lot to chew on.

  


> >   
> Well, it's getting late and I've got morning workout so I'll close here. Write me back, and remember what I said about visiting.
>> 
>> 'See ya.
>> 
>> Roberto.  
> 
>> 
>>   
> 

He finished with a fancy flair on his signature, which went well with the fairly precise, neat handwriting. He carefully folded the letter into thirds, and then got up to find an envelope and his address book. "I meant to do this earlier, but I forgot I had an endurance run in the danger room tonight." He said, stretching his back once he'd addressed and sealed the letter.

"Oh, man, those are _so_ not fun." Kurt made a face.

"No kidding." Roberto grimaced as he lay back down on the bed. "Some days I think Logan forgets that we don't all have his stamina." He said with strangely amused grin.

"What's funny about it? Those are killer."

"Funny in a sort of warped way." Roberto shook his head. "Of course, they think that as I get better with my control, my endurance should increase rather noticeably. I guess some of the absorbed energy is going into stamina as well as strength." He shook his head. "That just encourages Logan to push me, of course."

"Logan enjoying pushing." Kurt chuckled a bit. "It's his thing."

"I'm used to it." Roberto chuckled. "He's really no worse than my soccer coach back home. Kind of reminds me of him, excluding the concealed weapons, since as far as I know all my soccer coach ever carried was a pistol."

"It can be hard to tell." He said quietly and let his eyes drift closed. "Most look normal after all."

"True enough." Roberto nodded and pulled Kurt close in his arms, not at all happy about the tension in the lean body. "But given the look he gave me, I don't think so."

"Probably," he murmured, his eyes closed and trying to let the flash of guilty jealousy pass.

"I can't decide whether he was more horrified or disappointed." Roberto said quietly. "Is something wrong Kurt?" He asked gently, noticing the tension.

"Nothing new." He said quietly.

"Sorry." Roberto said, as he let go. "Holding you is just what comes to mind when you're this close."

"Hu?" Kurt's eyes shot up even as his startled body tried to adjust for the sudden lack of contact. "Not that." He shook his head and settled against him. "Just jealous sometimes of how you can all blend in out there."

"Sorry, got confused." He smiled and put his arms back around Kurt and pulled him close. "Yeah, I forget about that sometimes. It's natural to be jealous of what you want, but can't have." He said understandingly. "You handle it well, all things considered."

"I have to, or I'll end up like _them_."

"That's a strength of character not everyone has." Roberto said with a gentle smile. "It's something to be proud of."

The sound Kurt made was somewhere between shrug and acceptance as he closed his eyes again.

Roberto nodded, and closed his eyes as his body began to really feel the effects of the endurance session. As usual, falling asleep was easier with Kurt in his arms.


	7. Defining Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Letters from family raise some tensions, but they also help out some.

When Kurt popped in for the evening, Roberto wasn't in bed. Instead he was playing with a laptop computer that Kurt was pretty sure hadn't been there before. Sitting on the desk next to it was a digital camera.

"New toy?" He asked curiously from the bed.

"Partially." He chuckled. "And partially mom's way of saying I should write her more often. It's easier to e-mail her than write her it seems."

"Faster than international mail at least." He nodded.

"And more reliable." He smiled. "Archaeological sites don't have the most reliable mail service, but they are electronically connected these days. And she wanted to know about the new guy in my life from me, instead of second hand from Mikey."

"Urr, right." Kurt nodded, suddenly very uneasy about the camera sitting there.

"Hey, she's cool about it." Roberto grinned reassuringly, and then caught Kurt's reaction to the camera. "Yeah, she did ask for a picture. I told her you were a bit camera shy, but I'd ask."

He sighed. "You can take one." He clicked the holoprojector on.

"The real you, Kurt." Roberto asked gently. "As cute as your hologram is, it's not the truth."

"I've had enough of being put on display." He shook his head. "My fuzzy blue self is not going on the internet."

"It's not going on the internet, Kurt." Roberto said reassuringly. "It's a secure, encrypted e-mail to my mother. I wouldn't even consider it until she said they had recently upgraded all their computer security protocols. Without her security key, the email is just gibberish."

Even with the hologram it was fairly easy to read the internal battle between trust, warranted paranoia and personal feelings. "She can pull you out, you know."

"Yes, but she won't." He said quietly, certainly. "She trusts the Professor, apparently they go back a ways."

"How can you be that sure?" Worry dominated his fine features, with a dozen things unsaid.

"Two things mostly." Roberto said reassuringly. "Mom's supported me through everything else, including the disaster that hospitalized a bunch of spectators at the soccer game where my powers came out. And that was the agreement when I agreed to come here; I'd give it a try, but it was up to me whether I stayed or not. See, I didn't really want to come at first." He said quietly.

Kurt fell silent, back to the internal debate again. In the end he shook his head. "No photo of blue and fuzzy."

"Okay, Kurt." Roberto nodded. "I told her you didn't like cameras." He smiled easily.

"Nein," he murmured quietly, remembering a time not even a year before when he was constantly in the spotlight and the flash of the camera was just part of life. He'd adapted to this version without all that so quickly. "Not anymore."

"It's okay, really." Roberto assured him, as he stood and put a reassuring hand on Kurt's shoulder. A tail wrapped around his forearm gently as Kurt nodded. "Time for bed, I think."

"Sounds good," he smiled back and squirmed under the covers, still in uniform.

"This has become my favorite part of the day." Roberto smiled warmly, as he slipped under the covers with Kurt, snuggling close.

"Mmm, I like the waking up better." Kurt grinned teasingly and brushed his tail along Roberto's leg. "More fun."

"That's true." Roberto grinned back, and brushed his hand along Kurt's cheek. "So, do you sleep in uniform when you sleep alone?" He asked curiously.

"Usually," he glanced up, his expression nearly an apology for something he didn't understand. "I've always slept dressed."

"Just curious." Roberto smiled, indicating that no apology was needed. "It's one of those things everybody does a little different. You sleep dressed, I just wear boxers, and my brother doesn't wear anything at all." He added for example.

"Nothing?" Kurt's face sort of scrunched up. "How can that be comfortable?"

"Beats me." Roberto shrugged. "I asked him that once, he said couldn't get how sleeping dressed could be comfortable. I think it's just a personal thing. Kind of like how some people like chocolate and other people can't stand it."

"Right," he nodded and snuggled against him, still rather weirded out by the concept of sleeping with nothing on. "As long as it doesn't hurt anybody, I guess it really shouldn't matter."

"That's true of most things." Roberto nodded and kissed him gently on the cheek as they settled in to sleep.

* * *

Roberto was lying on his bed, wearing only his running shorts as was normal. He read the letter a couple of times, and as usual he was stuck with the fact that his mother was making sense. She usually did, even when it was inconvenient. This, however, was a little more delicate than usual since Roberto was reluctant to start another conversation about relationships, considering how the last one had gone.

He was still rereading when Kurt's distinctive bamf of arrival made him look up into the smiling blue face above him.

"Hiya, Kurt." Roberto smiled up at his friend.

"Hi," he smiled back, his attention both on the letter and trying not to read it, as this one was in English.

"Letter from my mother." He smiled as he folded the letter and put it back in the envelope. "Oh, she told me to give her regards to my shy boyfriend." He grinned at Kurt and caught a quickly controlled looked of confusion and discomfort before the other teen did a midair twist to land on the bed.

"Boyfriend?" His expression settled on bewildered.

"That's mother's interpretation." He smiled. "I didn't actually tell her that. And I expect it's what most of the Institute thinks as well. It is the term used for a relationship between two guys who sleep together." He chuckled weakly. "But I think we'd have figure out what we both mean by the word relationship, before we could actually decide if it's true or not."

"Right." Kurt went from bewildered to wary far too fast as he sat down on the bed to watch him.

"Well, I think it's pretty clear we don't mean the same thing." Roberto added quietly. "Your's seems to include kids by default, and mine only includes them as an after-effect."

"I noticed," Kurt nodded, not quite getting what was happening. "What does it matter? We're both guys."

"Because two guys can have a relationship just the same as a guy and a girl." Roberto said quietly. "The emotions are all the same. Only the mechanics differ."

Kurt just looked confused for a while as he tried to make sense of a statement that went against his upbringing. Or he thought he did. Maybe it didn't.

Maybe it just didn't matter here. It wasn't like he'd ever go back now.

"I still don't want kids." He tried to be responsible, as he'd been taught, to warn this off before it got ugly years down the road. He didn't understand why it was so important to Roberto to call it something it probably wasn't, but if it made him happy, Kurt didn't care enough about it to argue too much.

"We're both guys, kids aren't possible." Roberto said a bit confused. "But what does a relationship mean to you, really?"

"It's a social construct so there's someone to look after the young." He explained with a slight shrug.

"Interesting." Roberto said quietly. "That's what most people would call marriage." He nodded. "But how about all the people who don't have kids? If two people love and care for each other, isn't that a relationship?" He asked gently, curious about what was really going on inside Kurt's head.

"They're lovers, sometimes." He tried to remember back to the little time he'd cared to find out. The time before he'd understood that he'd never have children of his own. "Mostly it was just there. Not many wanted that."

"It's very different here. More people have relationships without kids, then actually have kids." Roberto said gently. "And being lovers is a relationship, there are many kinds of relationships." He explained, trying to be careful to explain the difference without making fun of what Kurt believed.

"All right," he nodded, still not very sure of things. "But you could have a girl."

"Not who I'm interested in right now." Roberto smiled gently. "There's nothing inherently better about being with a girl." He said softly, only about half sure he believed that, but he didn't like the implication that somehow choosing a guy wasn't as valid.

Kurt opened his mouth to say something, then shook his head and let it drop. He'd understand in time, or he wouldn't. Either way it hardly mattered. This was what he had, and it was a lot more than he'd ever expected in those moments when he was truly honest with himself. "All right."

"Maybe it'll make more sense in time." Roberto said gently, as he brushed his hand along Kurt's cheek and watched those yellow eyes slip closed. "That's why Logan was trying to give us details though. He assumes we'd gotten to the being boyfriend part, and in a lot of peoples' minds that means sex." He shrugged. "A lot of assumptions actually."

"Yes, there are." He smiled weakly. "On all sides."

"Yeah, that's true." Roberto admitted, as his hand reached back to gently trace one of Kurt's elfin ears, causing him to tremble slightly with a soft gasp. "Trick is getting through all the assumptions, to the truth."

"Yeah," he whispered threw a tight throat. "The truth for us."

"That's what's important." He agreed quietly and caressed the ear again with a slow gentle touch that drew a whimpering moan and arousal more intense that the more intimate touch they sometimes shared in the morning.

Roberto smiled and reached his other hand up so he could caress both ears at the same time, using the same gentle touch as before.

Kurt simply tried to remember how to breathe. With his eyes closed and his voice not really under his control, he was only peripherally aware that he'd moved to put his head in Roberto's lap and sprawled out on his back to touch himself in response to the sensations swirling threw his body.

Roberto smiled, pleased at having found a new way to pleasure Kurt, and continued to gently caress the gracefully pointed ears. Kurt's head rested in his lap close to his own slowly growing arousal, the hot breath, sounds of pleasure and sight of his affection touching himself threw his uniform making rather short work of the process.


	8. Night 8: Double Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roberto's brother comes for a visit, and while his brother welcomes him, it's very clear to him that the arrival of family is a bad thing on the average.

A gray sedan pulled up in front of the mansion and a young man in his late teens got out. He was dressed in slacks and a button shirt which was tailored to accent his athletically toned body. His face and especially his eyes born a distinct resemblance to Roberto DaCosta. He gave the grounds and mansion an appraising look before approaching the front door to be greeted by one of the most intimidating figures he'd seen in a long time.

"What brings you here?" Logan demanded, internally on the defensive at the arrival of an obvious relative.

"I'm here to see my brother, Roberto DaCosta." Miguel said precisely, working on remaining cool despite the very natural intimidation factor the man in front of him possessed. After a moment he realized that this must be Logan, that fantasy material teacher his brother had written of.

"What about?" He closed the distance a little more.

"Just family things." Miguel said, beginning to sweat a little. "I had to be in the area, and decided to take advantage of the fact."

"He didn't mention you'd be coming by." Logan pointed out gruffly, taking the youth's measure and scent.

"Mail can be unreliable, perhaps that letter has not arrived yet." Miguel suggested, not sure what to make of being pulled between attraction and fear. "Or perhaps he forgot to mention it. He has been somewhat distracted of late."

"Logan, do stop scaring the young man," a powerful woman's voice interrupted them as it's elegantly exotic dark skinned owner walked down the steps like she was gliding on air. "I'm sure he's not here to cause trouble. You must be Miguel." She smiled at him as Logan snorted.

"Yes, ma'am." Miguel said politely. "From my brother's letters, you must be Ororo." He added, going with personal name instead of the more colorful identifier, Storm, though he honestly wasn't sure which was used in conversation around here.

She smiled politely at that. "Your bother is at school right now. If you can stay, he should be back in a few hours."

"Ah yes, the regular high school." Miguel said feeling somewhat foolish. "I forgot that he had that in addition to the Institute. Yes, I can wait. I'm not due anywhere till much later." He smiled. "Robby's description of the grounds due not do them justice." He commented to make polite though entirely sincere conversation.

"You are welcome to explore them while you wait." Ororo offered with a gesture towards the finely crafted formal gardens. "It is a pleasant way to spend an afternoon."

"It can be indeed. Thank you." He nodded with a polite and thankful smile as Logan turned to go back into the mansion, soon followed by Ororo.

* * *

Miguel's musings in the formal garden were interrupted by the sound of a number of approaching vehicles. From the descriptions that his brother had given him, it must be the hodgepodge caravan of student's private vehicles that took the students to and from school. As he walked toward the drive, he picked out the sound of a sports car in the pack, which confirmed, in his mind, his conclusion. A brisk walk brought him to the front steps before the caravan came to a stop.

"'Yo, Robbie." He shouted as he spotted his younger brother next to the cute boy who had to be Kurt.

Roberto jumped involuntarily and turned to look in the direction of the voice. "Well I'll be dipped." He chuckled. "Hey Mikey, what you doing on this coast?" He shouted back as he closed the distance at quick walk.

"Oh, happened to be in the area and thought I'd drop by to see my favorite brother and his new boyfriend." He chuckled and watched Kurt duck his head and blush, stepping back a bit to put Roberto firmly between them.

"I thought you were going to let me know first." Roberto shook his head.

"I did write you, but the conference was kind of on short notice. The letter will probably arrive tomorrow." He grinned.

"Probably." He nodded and then stepped to one side a bi, and swept one arm behind Kurt. "Mikey, this shy fellow is Kurt Wagner, my boyfriend. Kurt, the loudmouth there is Miguel DaCosta, my brother."

"Pleased to meet you, Kurt." Miguel said with a warm smile for the smaller teen. "I've heard really good things about you."

"Umm, thanks." He put on his best smile despite a serious case of nerves. The fact that _everyone_ was watching was not helping any.

"Guess I ought to introduce everyone else." Roberto chuckled. "That's Jean, Scott, Kitty, Evan, Rogue, Rahne, Bobby, Jubilee, Ray, Sam and Amara. Everyone this is my brother, Miguel."

"Good to meet you, Miguel." Jean smiled looking over the rather handsome older teen.

"Yeah." "Hi." "Ditto." and various greetings from the strange ensemble of teens followed her lead.

"Pleased to meet all of you." Miguel grinned, and then turned to his brother. "You got time to talk, Robbie?"

"Bro, you came all the way cross the continent, I think I can make time." He chuckled, wondering at his brother's sudden seriousness. "* _Professor, I think I might be late for my training session this afternoon. My brother needs to talk, and I think it's serious._ *"

"* _I understand._ *" The Professor's calm mind came back.

"* _Thank you._ *" Roberto replied and then turned to Kurt. "I'll see you later, Kurt." He smiled, and kissed his boyfriend on the cheek.

"Okay," Kurt flashed Miguel an uneasy look before walking away, going the general mingle of students heading inside.

* * *

"So what's up, Mikey?" Roberto asked as he closed the door to his room. More than ever he was convinced that something was bothering his older brother. He shifted easily to his native Portuguese, just in case there was any eavesdropping going on.

"Hey, you said you wanted me to visit sometime." The older DaCosta teen chuckled, easily following into their native language.

"Well, yeah. A little warning would've been nice though." He grinned back.

"Would've ruined the surprised look on your face." Miguel smirked. "But seriously, how are things going with you and Kurt?"

"Damn if I know." Roberto said quietly. "I'm not sure I'd call it a relationship. Sure we share the same bed, but emotionally I don't think there's anything there as far as he's concerned."

"Nothing?" Miguel asked, a bit concerned.

"Let's just say, I think my big competition was a electric blanket." Roberto grumbled. "Since apparently warmth was the big criteria for why he sleeps with me."

"Rob, that is so not a good basis for a relationship." Miguel said worriedly. "Why keep playing at it?"

"'Cause I'm hoping maybe, just maybe he'll learn that relationships don't _have_ to be male-female. And I want to believe that maybe, just maybe if I love him enough, he'll learn to love me back." Roberto admitted reluctantly.

"Robbie, getting into a relationship hoping the other person will change is one of the big mistakes people make." Miguel cautioned quietly.

"I know. Mom's said that any number of times about her relationship with Dad." Roberto mumbled. "This is different. Kurt doesn't have a clue about how relationships work, just what he's been told. He didn't even realize it was possible to have a relationship unless kids were involved."

"Still, be careful Rob." Miguel said softly. "You're setting yourself up for heartbreak."

"I know. But some things are worth the risk." He said softly, trying to convince himself that he was as confident as he sounded.

"Bro, looks like it's a good thing I brought this." He smiled and handed Roberto a slim cellphone. "Just in case you ever need to talk and don't want to use the Institute's lines."

"Thanks, Bro." Roberto said, and pocketed the small phone. "Bro, if things go badly..." He hesitated in mid-sentence not wanting to think about that, it hurt even to think about.

"Bro, if you need to get out of here, I've got a spare room in my apartment. You're always welcome." He said quietly.

"Thanks, Mike." Roberto said quietly. "I can go to school there, as well as I can here."

"Hey, no problem. That's what family is for." He said softly.

"Okay, Mikey. There's something bothering you, and it's not my relationship with Kurt."

"Actually, relationships is kind of the point. I was hoping you and Kurt could come by my hotel room tomorrow for dinner. I want you to meet my boyfriend Chris."

"They let you bring a boyfriend along on a school paid trip?"

"No, Robbie." Miguel smirked. "I met him at the conference. He goes to Berkeley."

"That was quick. You've known him all of forty-eight hours?"

"Sometimes you know when you first see someone, that it's meant to be."

"Maybe." Roberto said quietly, thinking that's what he'd felt when he saw Kurt.

"Well, it helps if they feel the same thing." Miguel said quietly.

"Probably helps if they feel anything."

"Whoa, watch the bitterness, Bro." Miguel cautioned quietly.

"Sorry, I just can't talk honestly about it with anyone here." Roberto said quietly.

"That's the drawback to closely knit places like this." Miguel nodded. "When you've gotten a problem with someone who's also part of it, it leaves you no one to talk to."

"Basically." Roberto nodded, and then caught a brief spark of pain flash across his brother's face. "Okay, just what's really going on, Bro?" He demanded worriedly.

"Guess I couldn't hide it forever." Miguel sighed. "Doctors still haven't pinned down what exactly the cause is, but I've been having pain spikes that seem to be unrelated to anything I'm experiencing. It's like the pain nerve just engages. I've got an appointment with another specialist on Monday."

"Does Mom know?" Roberto asked quietly.

"She's been so busy with the dig and preparations for the opening, I don't want to distract her." Miguel said quietly. "Please, don't tell anyone, Roberto."

"Okay, I won't. But I think you should." He said softly. "Mom would want to know. So there isn't anything that causes the pain?"

"Well, loud noises seem to cause spikes, but it isn't really the sound causing the pain. Crowds for extended periods are almost as bad." He admitted.

"But it's not the noise that actually hurts?"

"No, it's not a headache or anything."

"And they can't pin down a cause?" Roberto asked, as he began to have his own suspicions about what was happening. Unfortunately, he'd promised Miguel he wouldn't tell anybody.

"No, the doctors are as confused as I am." Miguel nodded and then flashed a more reassuring smile. "I'm sure they'll figure it out soon enough. So what's it like, going to high school in the US? And I want details, not just the little bits you put in your letters."

"Okay Bro, you asked for it." Roberto smiled, as the two brothers fell to talking like they always had when they lived at home. Of the five DaCosta siblings, Roberto and Miguel were closest to each other and never all that close to the other three.

* * *

Roberto's attention was drawn away from talking with Miguel by a knock on his bedroom door almost three hours after dinner. He got up and answered the door opening it to find Kurt, wearing his hologram, standing there with a hesitant smile.

"Hi, Kurt." Roberto smiled and opened the door all the way, just as Miguel stood.

"Hello again, Kurt." Miguel smiled as he looked at his watch, and then at his brother sheepishly. "I am so going to here about this from Chris. I was supposed to meet him an hour ago."

"Like we _ever_ pay attention to the time when we talk." Roberto chuckled, and then hugged his brother. "See you tomorrow then, Mikey."

"Sure thing, Robbie." He smiled and left, stopping as he passed Kurt. "Pleasure meeting you, Kurt." He said easily. "Don't worry, Robbie, I can let myself out."

Kurt smiled a little uncertainly and nodded as the older teen left.

"What did he want?" His attention was instantly on Roberto once the door shut.

"A couple of things." He said easily. "First of which was that he wanted to invite us to join him and Chris for dinner tomorrow, if you're interested."

"Okay." Kurt looked less than thrilled, even though he was willing.

"It's a good thing, Kurt." Roberto smiled. "He likes you and wants to get to know you better. And he wants me to meet Chris, who he's hoping I'll like. It just wouldn't have worked bringing Chris here though."

"So who's Chris?" He sat on the bed and tried to relax.

"His boyfriend." Roberto said easily. "Fairly new. They met at the conference and just decided it was meant to be."

Kurt nodded again. He was really starting to get used to hearing things like that that just made no sense to him. It wasn't even confusing anymore.

"Well, he wanted me to meet Chris while they were both in the area. And he would like to get to know you a little better, probably because I talk about you all the time." Roberto smiled warmly.

"How formal a dinner?" Kurt reached down to turn the hologram off.

"Completely casual." Roberto smiled. "Just the four of us in their hotel suite, probably order something in. Just kicking back, relaxing and getting comfortable around each other." He explained. "We generally don't go formal unless mother is going to be joining us, and she's busy preparing her collection for the opening."

Kurt sighed slightly and nodded. "I'll dress for it then."

"It'll be fun." Roberto said with a reassuring smile as he gave Kurt a hug.

"Once I get over the itchiness." He nodded and relaxed back on the bed. "Real clothes are seriously annoying."

"Oh right, I forgot. Though you could probably just go with your hologram over your uniform the way you do at school." Roberto suggested.

"And if they touch an arm it's fur instead of cloth, or the wrong cloth," he shook his head. "Major bad new then."

"Guess so." He nodded. "I'm not sure how Chris would react."

"It's usually best just not to find out." Kurt said simply. "I don't wear this thing because I like it, you know." He tapped his watch.

"I know Kurt." Roberto said understandingly. "People can be very close minded, guess I just figure anybody my brother would go for, would be cool enough to handle it." He smiled apologetically.

"Maybe he would, and maybe he'd freak." Kurt could only shake his head. "I don't see much good coming of finding out."

"No, not worth the risk." Roberto agreed. "And I'd rather not freak my brother's boyfriend out, unless there's a really good reason."

"So when's dinner?" He asked and leaned back on the bed to relax.

"They're flexible about it, so it's up to us." He said, leaning back alongside Kurt. "I couldn't remember what we were scheduled for tomorrow, aside from not having any all day activities like survival camping."

"Well I had endurance training today, so I've got it kinda light." Kurt stretched out, working sore muscles.

"Well, how's six sound?"

"Works for me." He nodded and closed his eyes, letting himself drift in the sensations of his body and the world around him when all was darkness.

"That wasn't the only thing he came to see me about." Roberto sighed quietly as he put his arms around Kurt. He felt the tension he expected there despite the exertions of the day. "Just to relieve any worry, he didn't come here to pull me out." Roberto added reassuringly.

"Then what?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure." Roberto said a little worriedly. "Something was bothering him, but he never actually said what. What I did pick up on, is that whatever the problem is, he hasn't told mom either." He sighed. "It's like he just needed to talk. I think he doesn't want to tell me, 'cause he figures I've got enough to worry about with everything that's happened."

"Strange," Kurt could only shake his head. "To come to talk and then not."

"It happens." Roberto sighed. "But he's doing the big brother thing, trying to look out for me. And I'm sure the encounter with Logan didn't help."

"He met up with the over-protective terror, hu?" Kurt couldn't help the snicker and fond thought for their most territorial and aggressive teacher despite that the response had been misplaced.

"Yeah." Roberto chuckled. "Fortunately, Storm rescued him before Logan got too over-protective. However, Logan would've reminded him of Dad's lectures on how men 'deal with their own problems' and 'don't let others see them weak.'" He shook his head. "Dad can be _so_ anachronistic at times."

"He can't be two happy with two sons choosing another guy." He said softly.

"As far as I know he doesn't know." Roberto shrugged. "We don't talk to him much. We haven't gotten along well with him in years."

"Oh," he murmured quietly and tried to relax in the bed. He could feel his body starting to seriously object to not going to sleep already as his eyes slipped closed against his will.

"Yeah, sleep sounds like a good idea." Roberto said quietly, as held Kurt close. His eyes began to slowly drift closed, as he pushed worries to the back of his mind for a few hours at least.

* * *

"Ready to go, Kurt?" Roberto asked, as he knocked on Kurt's door. He knew how uncomfortable real clothes were for his friend and figured they might take a little extra time.

"As I'll ever be." The lean mutant sighed, squirming slightly.

"It'll be okay, Kurt." Roberto smiled encouragingly. "If it helps any, I think my brother's as nervous about this as you are." He smiled playfully.

It earned the teen a curious look. "Why?"

"I'm the first family member he's introducing Chris to." Roberto smiled. "And he's worried he'll accidentally scare you away from seeing me."

"That's not likely," Kurt chuckled softly, for all he was a bundle of nerves. "It takes a lot more than that to scare an X-Man away."

"I know that." Roberto chuckled. "But I couldn't exactly tell him about that."

Kurt smiled slightly and nodded, taking a step towards the door. "No, not really."

"You don't know how hard it's been, not talking to him about that." Roberto sighed, as they headed out. "We've always talked about the big things in our lives."

"I guess it must be hard." Kurt nodded. "You could always ask the Professor for permission to talk to him about it. Since he knows we're all mutants here, I doubt including the extra details would be much of an issue."

"I should've thought of that." He grinned sheepishly. "I should do that at some point. Cab should be out front by now." He smiled. "I am so looking forward to getting my driver's license."

Kurt just nodded and followed him out. Privately he found it amusing he got to fly the Blackbird but couldn't legally drive a car.

The cab ride was largely silent and dropped them at the Holiday Inn downtown, and then Roberto led the way to his brother's room. He knocked on the door.

"Hi, Robbie. Hi, Kurt." Miguel said when he opened the door. "Glad you could make it." He added, as he stepped aside to let them in. He was wearing jeans and polo shirt.

"Heya Mikey." Roberto grinned and led Kurt in. "I wasn't going to pass up a chance to meet your new boyfriend."

"Hi, Miguel." Kurt smiled at him a bit shyly.

"Come on, I want you to meet to Chris." He said, leading the two into the living room. Waiting in the living room was a very handsome black teen with startling blue eyes. He was wearing jeans and a loose purple silk shirt. "Robbie, Kurt, this is Chris D'jabou, my boyfriend. Chris, this is my brother Roberto, and his boyfriend Kurt Wagner."

"A pleasure to meet both of you." He said extending a hand to Roberto, who shook it easily, and then offered his hand to Kurt.

Careful to keep his fingers together so they'd feel as much like a normal hand as possible he quickly and lightly shook the offered hand. It was just too rude not to. His attention never quiet left those bright blue eyes that looked _so_ out of place in the dark face. So much like Storm's ....

Kurt abruptly blinked that thought away. Still, he couldn't deny the similarities.

"So, do you guys have a preference for dinner? Chinese and pizza seem to be what's good for delivery around here." Miguel asked easily, as he sat on the couch near the phone gesturing for everyone to be seated.

"Either is acceptable." Chris said as he sat down next to Miguel, leaning against him comfortably.

"Pizza is usually more my speed." Roberto chuckled, as sat down on the other couch.

"My vote goes for pizza." Kurt smiled shyly and settled next to Roberto.

"Sounds like pizza then." Miguel grinned. "Any preference for toppings?"

"As long as it isn't fish, I'm good." Roberto grinned.

"It's all good to me," Kurt grinned over.

"So, pizza with everything but fish." Miguel chuckled. "So, will two large pizzas be enough, or should we go for three?"

"You can't have too much pizza." Roberto grinned. "Just remember to get a few two-liters of soda to go with it." He added and Kurt grinned at it, his attention still largely focused on Chris' unusual eyes.

"Right." Miguel grinned back, and picked up the phone. "Yes. I'd like three large pizzas with everything, and two two liters of Pepsi and two two liters of 7-Up. Delivery is to Room 615 at the Holiday Inn. Phone number 698-1223. Thanks." He said and hung up. "It'll be forty-five minutes."

"Fortunately, we have chips and soda here already." Chris smiled, as he stood with a very fluid grace. "I'll get them from the mini-kitchen." He said, as he headed into the small room off the living room.

"Excellent." Roberto grinned. "So what was the conference about?"

"Oh, Physics conference with some of the top physicists from around the world. Real cutting edge stuff."

"That's cool." Roberto grinned. "Assuming you like higher maths."

"Hey, I'm a physics major. I gotta love math." Miguel grinned back.

"Not for me," Kurt grinned a little sheepishly. "I get enough headaches already with the stuff."

"Same here." Roberto smiled. "So is Chris another Physics major?"

"Yep, pretty much everyone who doesn't have a degree at the conference is."

"So, where does he go to school?"

"Berkeley. And he's even willing to date someone from UCLA." Miguel chuckled.

"More common than you think, Miguel." Chris said as he walked in with two bags of chips and a six pack of soda. "The average guy at UCLA is cuter than the average guy at Berkeley."

"I'd imagine you skew that average pretty badly." Miguel grinned playfully.

"So you've said." Chris smiled warmly.

Kurt simply watched the exchange in his nearly natural shy background 'I'm not here' demeanor, fascinated by how much they acted like Jean and Scott and utterly stuck on those blue eyes in the dark face.

"Isn't it gonna be difficult dating, when you're a few hundred miles apart?" Roberto asked curiously.

"In a word, yes." Chris nodded. "But we figure we can spend weekends together. At least until I earn my pilots' license. Then we'll have more options."

"Yeah, we don't have the option of sharing a room every night." Miguel chuckled, throwing a teasing wink at Roberto.

"That's something of an assumption, Bro." Roberto grinned back.

"I doubt it." Miguel grinned. "Same building, and you've never mentioned a curfew or lights out. I know if I had a boyfriend under those conditions, that's what I'd do."

Roberto didn't respond, trying to stick to his belief that it wasn't appropriate to talk about what went on in the bedroom.

"Let it go, Mike." Chris said, very calmly. "Clearly your brother prefers to leave some things unsaid."

"Yeah, guess I'm getting a little too big-brotherish." Miguel grinned sheepishly. "Didn't mean to pry, Robbie."

"Hey, 'sokay, Bro." Roberto smiled. "It's not like you're the first person to want to know what's up between me and the cutest guy at the Institute." He added, with warm smile at a decidedly embarrassed Kurt.

"I bet, especially the teenage girls." Miguel chuckled. "I bet you've got them _so_ jealous."

"It's hard to tell." Roberto chuckled.

"That must be the pizza." Miguel smiled as the doorbell rang. "I'll be right back."

"I believe he'll need a helping hand." Chris smiled and followed him.

"So what's got you so interested in Chris?" Roberto asked in a quiet whisper once the other two were out of the room. "You can't seem to keep your eyes off his face."

"Those eyes." Kurt shook his head. "He looks so much like Storm."

"Yeah, I kind of thought there was a similarity." Roberto nodded. "Same kind of exotic looks too."

"Yeah." Kurt said softly, utterly freaked out on a very core level that didn't show on the surface. Not just of the similarities and exoticness, but how his mind responded to it. Thoughts of having Chris on top of him. Thoughts of sex in ways he'd never wanted before, not even as he and Roberto pleasured each other.

Thoughts he was unprepared for in the extreme.

Roberto started to say something, but stopped when caught Miguel out of the corner of his eye. It was a distraction he was grateful for, because he was beginning to have very erotic thoughts about his brother's boyfriend. Thoughts that looked a lot like some of the pictures of gay sex that he'd found on the Internet. Thoughts he really didn't need directed at someone else he couldn't have.

"Pizza's here." Miguel bellowed as he walked in the room.

"I do believe the smell would've told them that." Chris chuckled as he set the soda down on the table.

"Oh, yeah. Dinner." Kurt grinned and seemed to come alive as the slices and soda was passed around. "I'm starving."

"Yeah, we're about two hours after dinner for us." Roberto grinned as he started in on a slice.

"A good thing we got three then." Chris smiled warmly and ate with a noticeable amount of grace and refinement. Though it seemed out of place with the pizza and soda, it seemed perfectly in place with his exotic looks and manners.

"Just reasonable precaution." Miguel grinned.


	9. Reflecting on Bright Blue Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt talks to Storm about Chris and after half a sleepless night he and Roberto share their reaction to the sight of blue eyes in a dark face.

"Storm?" Kurt called out to the white haired goddess when he found her in the library after he and Roberto had gotten back to the mansion late in the night. "Do you have a moment?"

"Of course, Kurt." She said, setting down the book she'd been reading. "What can I do for you?"

"Do you know if you have a relative named Chris D'jabou? He's in collage right now and came for the Physics conference."

That caused the goddess to pause for a moment before she nodded. "Yes, I do. My younger sister's son, he's attending school in California." She said simply. "I didn't know he was in the area."

"He is," Kurt nodded and relaxed a bit. "He's dating Roberto's brother." He added with a soft, unsure chuckle. "He's got your looks, in a big way."

"My sister often thought so." Storm smiled. "I have not seen him in several years however. I can see why he'd be attracted to Miguel."

Kurt nodded, not getting it and not at all worried about it at this point. "He looked like he might be one of us," he said with a bit of a shrug. "I thought I should bring it up while he was still in the area."

"What makes you think he's one of us, Kurt?" Storm asked curiously.

"Looks that unusual ...." he shrugged slightly, not sure what to say now. "He looks so much like you it's striking." He worked to explain something that was as much a gut reaction he hadn't thought threw as anything. "It's enough to me to be worth looking into a little more. Maybe have Cerebro check him out."

"I'll mention it to the Professor." She said calmly. "Since mutancy is genetic, it may run in families."

Kurt nodded and flinched internally. He'd known _that_ for years. "I just wanted to make sure you knew." He said softly and stifled a yawn. "See you in the morning." He smiled and paused to let her stop him if she wanted to before leaving to find his way to Roberto's room and rest in the warmth of welcoming arms.

* * *

Kurt groaned. He wasn't going to get any rest tonight. He knew it. Between visions of blue eyes -- Storm blue eyes and Kitty blue eyes and Chris blue eyes -- doing things to him he could barely image and Roberto's own restlessness, it was an utterly lost cause.

"Can't sleep either?" Roberto asked very softly in the darkness of the early morning.

"Nope." Kurt sighed and sat up to stare out the window.

"So what's got you all sleepless?" Roberto asked quietly.

"Blue eyes." He answered honestly and very quietly. He knew he shouldn't be having those thoughts, but he couldn't help them either.

"Chris?" He asked curiously, wondering if Kurt was bothered by the same thoughts he was having.

"Yeah," he nodded. "They're the same color as Kitty's too." He added with a soft, frustrated sigh.

"Oh, I hadn't noticed." He said quietly. "I think they're a bit deeper blue though, but it's close." He said softly. "Did he get you thinking more about sex than you expected?" He asked softly, his tone indicating that that was certainly his problem.

"Yeah," he nodded, glancing back at the other teen.

"Same here." Roberto admitted. "I wasn't expecting to react like that to my brother's boyfriend." He added quietly.

"You're not supposed to." Kurt murmured, keeping his distance, though he didn't radiate the 'stay away from me' thing he did in public. "It's wrong."

"Kurt, thinking is okay, fantasies are harmless." He said reassuringly. "As long as they stay fantasies." He added quietly. "Trust me, if fantasies equaled reality I'd be in so much trouble." He shook his head and caused Kurt to chuckle softly in return.

"Still doesn't seem right to think that way about someone else's ... partner." He chose the term with some difficulty, not entirely happy with the one he'd settled on.

"Happens to lots of people, Kurt." Robert said softly. "Nothing wrong with thinking, as long as you know that _all_ that's allowed is thinking. Gets kind of frustrating though." He added softly.

Kurt looked at him with an openly confused expression.

"Sometimes just thinking can get you kind of edgy." He explained quietly. "Kind of like tonight."

"Yeah," he nodded and looked back out to the dark sky.

"Usually helps, to work off the edge a bit." Roberto said quietly.

It took a significant chunk of time for Kurt to make out what he was getting at, and when he finally did he glanced over his shoulder in confusion. "So why are you talking and not touching?"

"Cause you were giving signals that usually mean 'don't play'." He said softly.

"Oh," he blinked, then shook his head. "Sorry." He said softly and shifted to lie down next to Roberto to run a two-fingered hand down the soft skin of his chest.

"That's okay, Kurt." Robert said gently, as he traced one finger along the edge of Kurt's ear, causing him to shiver and moan very softly. "We're still figuring this out, so occasionally signals will get crossed."

"Yeah," he whispered, his eyes closing as he gave in to the sensations even that simple touch created throughout his body to the point he all but forgot to move.

Roberto leaned in close, and gently gave Kurt's sensitive ear a tentative but playful lick. He felt as much as heard the small gasp it caused. Hoping it was a good reaction, Roberto repeated the lick, going a little further along the edge of his boyfriend's ear.

This time Kurt moaned softly, his eyes closed as fine tremors ran along his body. Roberto smiled to himself and slowly traced the entire edge of Kurt's ear with his tongue as his lover began to tremble and clutched to him tightly, his arousal an obvious hardness against Roberto's thigh.

Roberto's arousal was tenting his boxers in a similar display. He repeated the last lick as his hand slid down the front of Kurt's uniform to cup the hardness of his arousal with a caressing touch that made Kurt's body stiffen, he was so close to the edge.

He continued his licking and caressing, as he arched his back a little to rub the tent in his boxers against Kurt's abs. He barely had time to complete that maneuver before the blue furred teen cried out sharply and every muscle in his body tightened with the first disorienting burst of his orgasm.

Roberto held Kurt close while his orgasm passed, giving him time to come back down to earth and relax into the languid contentment that followed. His first real indication that Kurt was with him again was when the two-fingered hand worked under the elastic of his boxers to stroke him.

He moaned softly as the sensation pushed him back toward the edge. It didn't take much stroking to push him over, his back arching as he cried out in the overwhelming pleasure of the first spurt that got more on Kurt's clothes than anywhere else.

With a soft, contented and exhausted sigh Kurt smiled a bit and snuggled in, holding Roberto in turn as the teen came down, his hand still on the hard length that brought such pleasure and frustration.

"Oh man, that was good." Roberto murmured as he came down. On impulse he leaned over and kissed Kurt on the cheek.

"Frustration does that." He chuckled back; quite content to stay right where he was and rest, even if he didn't sleep. He could still see and feel bright blue eyes on him.

"Being with you makes it good." Roberto said quietly as he relaxed into a kind of resting mode. He still wasn't expecting sleep, but rest would do. Especially since Kurt seemed inclined to stay put now.

* * *

Kurt stared up at the ceiling with unseeing yellow eyes the next night. He wasn't sure what time it was beyond the darkness outside his window that added very little light to the darkness of his room. It suited his mood very well. Between the coldness that came from inside and the fire the thoughts of bright blue eyes did to him he wanted to hurt something.

Anything.

He may have been under no illusions what he was getting and wanted from Roberto and that is was quite different from what the other teen wanted in the long run, they were both getting some of what they wanted with the current arrangement.

But now ... there had to be something about bright blue eyes that held him. Storm, Kitty and now Chris.

The first thing he'd seen when he'd gotten off the train were Storm's eyes. At first he thought they were white. Pure snow white in a field of chocolate framed by flowing white hair. But now he knew they had a small ring of blue iris around her white pupils.

It made her even more exotic somehow. Even more attractive in his fantasies.

But she was a teacher, and a goddess as well. She would always be just fantasy material and in a way he preferred it that way. It was safe. She was safe, in that she'd never be his and never demand he face the true reality of his condition. The truth that any child he sired would look like him, no matter how beautiful the mother.

Then Kitty had come, not so long after he had. She was pretty, with smooth pale skin and brown hair and bright blue eyes. She'd screamed the first several times he'd gotten anywhere near her, but after she'd calmed down they'd discovered a lot in common.

And that was when his self-control had gotten its first real test. They were nearly the same age, the youngest and outcasts of a sort in this group of outcasts because of it. And she was so pretty and free and _fun_.

He'd never thought she could possibly be interested in him as anything more than a teammate and friend. He'd never dared before.

But she'd been on the front line of getting him and Roberto together, which put real doubt in her desire for him as more than girl talk.

Still, when he was honest, he would go with her if she ever indicated her desire. It wasn't fair to Roberto, but knowing what he did of what the other teen wanted staying with him wasn't all that fair either. It was just better than being alone and he wasn't really set against it being long term. It wasn't like he could look forward to children anyway, so it hardly mattered that his bedmate was another guy.

Well, it mattered, but not in a way that _mattered_.

At least that was what he had thought until he'd seen a guy with those striking blue eyes that held him in their thrall and made him _desire_ another guy as intensely as he had any girl.

And that changed everything.

If he could _desire_ a guy like that, it was so unlikely he'd ever feel real desire for Roberto.

Sure it was nice to sleep next to someone and his touch felt incredible, but he couldn't remember _feeling_ anything beyond the loyalty to a teammate. Certainly nothing like Storm, Kitty or Chris could make him feel with just a look.

Maybe it would be better for them both to end it now, before they got too used to things.

But then, maybe this was as good as it ever would be. After all those who could make him tingle all over with just a look didn't want to be with him, while Roberto certainly did.

But love?

That was saying a lot, and it was more than a little frightening to contemplate. He was sure he didn't love Roberto, even more sure he didn't lust for him. But just as sure was that Roberto wanted him and being next to someone was very nice.

Maybe in time he'd feel desire. Maybe it wasn't necessary to whatever Roberto really wanted of him. Maybe this was as good as things he could touch got and the rest was so much sharper because it was only a fantasy.

Just a fantasy of bright blue eyes.


	10. Confronting An Uncomfortable Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Kurt tries to sort himself out, Roberto has a crisis or three of his own. But things are looking up, just a little.

"Hey, Kurt." Roberto said, as he spotted his missing blue bed partner in an otherwise unoccupied hallway of the mansion, startling the other teen. "Is something wrong?" He asked quietly.

"No," he smiled back, though the response was utterly reflexive and his expression changed a moment later. "Just trying to think threw things." He admitted quietly.

"Oh." Roberto said quietly. "When you stopped showing up suddenly, and didn't say anything, I thought maybe something was wrong."

Kurt's uncomfortable shifting was a hint that wasn't far off the mark. "I just needed some time alone to try to sort some stuff out."

"You just worried me, when you didn't say anything." Roberto said quietly. "I thought it was something I did." He added, though he couldn't actually think of anything.

"No, no," Kurt listed both hands and shook his head quickly. "Nothing you did. I just needed to think."

"Okay." Roberto nodded, putting on a front of casual acceptance even if he wasn't totally convinced. "Well, I hope it all works out." He added quietly, figuring that if Kurt actually wanted to talk about it, he wouldn't put distance between them. "See 'ya, round." He said quietly, as he turned to head to his room to study.

He could feel yellow eyes on him as he moved until the soft bamf of Kurt teleporting away reached him.

* * *

* * *

Roberto was lying in bed, not quite asleep yet when his attention snapped awake and overhead with the distinctive bamf and weight of his four-day absent bedmate's arrival.

"Hiya, Kurt." Roberto said quietly, as he lifted the covers to let his fuzzy blue friend under. "So you work things out?" He asked quietly.

"As much as I'm going to anytime soon." He admitted and snuggled close.

"So, what was bothering you?" He asked quietly. "Or would you rather not talk about it?" He added, leaving Kurt the escape route.

The furry mutant sighed softly. Even knowing this was coming it wasn't any easier.

"I had to figure out if I should stop coming."

"Well, I guess you decided you shouldn't stop." He noted quietly. "I missed having you here." He said softly.

"Yeah." Kurt mumbled from where he was snuggled against soft skin. "I missed it too. A lot."

"Good to have you back." Roberto smiled, and put his arms around Kurt as they snuggled until sleep claimed them.

* * *

"Roberto?" Jean Grey came up to the younger teen after school the next day. "Maybe sharing will help?" She offered a little awkwardly.

Roberto jumped a bit, since he hadn't heard her approach. "With what?" He asked uncertainly, since he wasn't sure exactly what she was talking about. He couldn't remember if he'd been thinking about his brother or about Kurt just then.

"About what's bothering you so much." She said quietly and stared to guide him very gently into the formal gardens to sit in relative privacy. "You are radiating distress quite a bit." She added gently.

"Which means the Professor's probably heard too." He chuckled weakly. "A couple things actually, neither of which I really know what to do with." He sighed quietly.

"Sometimes talking to someone not directly involved can be helpful. She offered again. "It's not getting any better on it's own."

"No neither of them is." He admitted. "Safe to assume everybody knows there's something going on between me and Kurt?"

"Yes, I'd say so." She smiled softly. "And that something went very wrong when your brother came by."

"That's complicated, and I'm not sure what exactly happened except that Kurt had a really strong reaction to Miguel's boyfriend Chris, who happens to bear a striking resemblance to Storm." He said, still wondering if there was more than just an uncanny resemblance.

"Yes, I heard about him." She smiled. "Another of her nephews."

"Oh, is he? I didn't know that." He said, surprised. "I did suspect a relationship though. At any rate, Kurt got really hung up on Chris's eyes, and then he stopped showing up for four days."

Jean raised a curious eyebrow at that, sure there was a connection she wasn't making yet. "Did he say why?"

"Something about blue eyes." He said trying to remember what Kurt had actually told him. "Storm has blue eyes, Kitty has blue eyes and so does Chris. I almost went and got tinted contacts." He said trying to make a joke out of something that really had kind of disturbed him.

She nodded and considered that. "The first person he saw coming here and the first crush he had." She told him gently. "I'm not surprised it has a special place in his mind."

"It just a bit disturbing, 'cause he reacted more to Chris than he ever does to me." Roberto sighed deeply.

"That may be why he needed some time to himself, to figure out why." She suggested. "It can be distressing to be with someone and suddenly want someone else. Especially someone who's already taken."

"Especially when you're only sort of with the first person." Roberto sighed. "That's the big problem, I think there's a relationship but as far as I can figure out he doesn't. He doesn't even seem to get that two guys can have a relationship."

Jean put a gentle hand on his shoulder and guided him to sit on a bench in the seclusion of a weeping willow. "It's not an easy concept for many to deal with." She tried not to hurt him with the truth. "Kurt perhaps more than most."

"I know it's not an easy concept." He said quietly. "It's just frustrating, cause it seems like it's a one-way relationship, emotionally." He shook his head quietly.

"Roberto, if being attracted to someone else disturbed him enough to have to think that hard about it, he must feel something for you, even if he can't express it well."

"That's what I keep telling myself." Roberto said quietly. "Some days are more successful than others. Worrying about Miguel doesn't help any." He said softly, figuring he'd probably broadcast most of it already.

"You think he's a mutant, don't you?" She asked quietly.

"It's crossed my mind. I think the problems he's having are because he's subconsciously suppressing something." He said quietly. "After the disaster that accompanied the emergence of my powers, I think he's been telling himself that he's not a mutant, strongly enough that it's creating a block." He said, giving words to the theory he'd been formulating.

"It wouldn't be the first time the mind overrode the body or powers." She nodded slightly. "If he is, it is increasing the odds of something bad happening when the block breaks. It can't be healthy for him, physically or mentally."

"It's already having physical effects. At least that's what I'm guessing the nerve spikes the doctors can't identify are." He said quietly. "He's supposed to see another specialist on Monday."

"Would you like me to try and find out for sure, with Cerebro?" She asked softly.

"The problem is I wasn't supposed to mention the fact that he's having problems to anyone." Roberto said quietly. "But then, I don't shield well enough, to not tell you and the Professor that something's wrong, huh?" He smiled weakly.

"Pretty much," she nodded. "I had a good guess just from your face too."

"Well, it was hard enough not telling Kurt." He said quietly. "Fortunately, he's not a telepath."

Jean nodded and put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "And very preoccupied with his own problems. He hasn't been in much better shape than you."

"Problem is, I'm not sure Miguel would believe he's a mutant, even if told." Roberto said quietly. "He can be very stubborn."

"Maybe not, but it would let _us_ be ready to help him if we knew, and knew what he could do."

"That's true." Roberto nodded. "And he might believe, if the Professor told him. He'd just figure I was trying to pull one over on him." He smiled weakly. "We've spent most of our lives pulling pranks on each other. Harmless ones, just 'cause we know we can."

"Good brotherly games." She smiled, hesitating to mention what she's picked up from Kurt. "Have you talked to Kurt at all?"

"Some, but sometimes I think we're talking different languages even when we're both speaking English." He said quietly. "Especially when it comes to trying to discuss what we both want. And the fact that he had to think about whether he 'should' come back to me, kind of threw me."

Jean sighed. It was cheating and morally questionable, but they needed to understand each other, even if that meant she had to do the translating.

"He's afraid of you," she told him as gently as she could. "Of what being in loves means. Roberto, he's lost a lot already. Whether it's good or not for him, he's found denial of any attachment as a coping method for the future and loosing the next thing that matters to him."

Roberto sighed. "Loss I understand. Aside from Miguel and my Mom, I lost my whole world when my powers emerged. Coming here was starting over again from scratch. Nothing I'd done or achieved before mattered any more." He shook his head. "Denying any attachment is a good way to make sure there's nothing to lose. Guess that explains why I keep feeling like I'm getting pushed away."

"Despite the fact that he keeps coming back to you," she nodded quietly. "He's battling between staying safe and feeling good. I don't think he has really accepted either choice yet."

"I don't think so either." Roberto said quietly. "Part of me really wishes he would though. The rest is far too afraid he'll choose staying safe."

"Limbo is never pleasant." She squeezed his shoulder. "At least he isn't physically pushing you away. It's a good start, really. If he gets used to it, being with you might become what is safe for him. He doesn't want to be alone."

"Yeah, I think we got past that the first couple of nights." He smiled softly. "I'm just glad my family likes him. Of course, it's hard not to."

"He is very sweet, when he's not driving you crazy." She chuckled softly, remembering the teleporter's pranks.

"Even if it is tough to get him to believe it." He smiled. "But that's probably part of the denial thing as well."

"It's easier not to care for someone that you don't think cares much about you." She nodded sadly. She wasn't about to mention how pitiful it was to feel him when his attempts to be friendly failed. The first couple weeks with Kitty had been intensely painful for them both.

"Yeah, and I probably rushed things. But I was kind of clueless on how to approach another guy, and I went with what seemed like helpful advice." He smiled weakly. "Truth is that I don't know that much more about the whole guy/guy thing than Kurt does."

"I'm not so sure it has much to do with either of you being guys." She said gently. "As it does with neither of you being all that sure how to express what you truly want to the other in a way he understands. It's never easy at the beginning."

"There's that too. But as far as I can tell, Kurt's understanding of relationships didn't really include the concept of guy/guy or even girl/guy if kids weren't involved." He shook his head, a bit befuddled. "I'm kind of hoping the evening with Miguel and Chris, gave him an idea that guy/guy really can be a relationship."

"Roberto, what do you want out of a relationship with Kurt?" She asked, feeling guilty and a little uncertain of playing councilor, but she wasn't about to let this tear them both apart and not _try_ to help.

"What people usually want out of relationships." He said, and then sighed as he realized that was just dodging the question. "I guess the best description I ever came up with was it's like a best friend but with more emotional intimacy. Someone to do things with, share things with and sometimes just be with." He said trying to explain something that was as much gut instinct as words. He didn't say it, but what he wanted was what he saw his brother had with Chris.

Jean nodded and considered that for a while. "I know how I judge it, but that doesn't really apply here." She started softly and as carefully as she could. "How do you judge emotional intimacy, and how it's lacking with Kurt?"

"Judge it? I'm not sure how to put it into words." He said quietly. "I guess part of it though is that when we step out of the bedroom, it's like nothing has changed between us. If it wasn't for certain people's sensitive noses, no one would know there was anything between us. Makes me feel like we're doing something wrong that we have to hide." He said quietly. "Even though I know we aren't. Just using the word boyfriend, I get the impression I'm moving too fast."

"It does come with a lot of expectations," she nodded and thought back to what she'd picked up from Kurt over the past few weeks. "Not the least of which is that it is something permanent and likely to grow." She tried to avoid spelling out any more than she had to. "It comes with a lot of obligations, demands and expectations he might not be ready for with anyone."

"Guess I don't see it that way." He sighed. "Just the only word for someone you care about who's more than just a friend, that I could think of."

"You might want to try to explain that to him." She suggested gently.

"Can't hurt, I hope." Roberto said quietly. "I suppose the worst that happens is another conversation that ends with neither of us understanding where the other is coming from."

Jean nodded. "And he has a word for someone who means more than a friend to him." She said very softly, sure of it from what she'd felt when he'd used it. "It's teammate."

"Well, that's true." Roberto granted. "But the emotional connotations don't quite work. I've had lots of teammates, but I certainly didn't feel any of the things I feel for Kurt for them. And I certainly didn't sleep with them." He chuckled weakly. Even suggesting that to his old teammates would've got him at best a whole lot of teasing, and at worst a serious beating, or at least an attempt at one.

"I'm sure," she smiled and chuckled softly. "But it's as close to what I think you are trying to describe as he probably knows. Possibly family does too, which carries much the same issues."

"No wonder things are complicated." He shook his head. "Using the same word for people you do and don't sleep with."

"There has never been a good word for someone you care about, sleep with and aren't ready for a commitment to yet." She sighed softly, as much from personal experience than anything. "More than friends, not quite boyfriend yet, and lover is just _wrong_ for it."

"Lover is way too permanent." He nodded. "At least, this early it is. And fuck buddy isn't right either." He chuckled weakly.

"No, I don't think so," she tried not to react visibly to the term. "And sometimes trying to apply a label to something that isn't ready for it can be more damaging than anything." She paused as a thought came to mind. "You said that he doesn't act like anything has changed outside your bedroom. Have you tried asking him on a date yet? Suggested doing things, just the two of you, like you would if you were interested in a girl? Maybe he isn't acting like anything has changed because he hasn't seen an indication it should."

"No, I guess I haven't. " He admitted quietly. "I guess the problems we've been having with the concept of relationship kind of distracted me."

"You might want to consider that." She smiled softly at him. "Try to _show_ him what he means to you and what you want. It might sink in better than words."

"It would almost have to." He chuckled weakly. "But then I just can't seem to manage my natural smoothness when I'm around him. Never had that problem before."

"I'm sure," Jean's mouth quirked into a teasing smile. "I believe he's on the roof right now." She added and stood with her own natural grace. "You do have him rather turned around."

"We seem to do that to each other." He smiled slightly. "Some people would say that's a good sign." He smiled, and soaked in the sunshine as he powered up enough so he could get up on to the roof without risking his neck climbing up.

"Hi, Kurt." Sunspot said as he landed on the roof next to Kurt, having taken a route that would give Kurt ample time to see him before he landed. He powered down, once he was sitting on the roof next to his fuzzy blue teammate.

"Hay," he smiled back with only a trace of the uneasy confusion that had consumed much of his waking and dreaming hours in the last few weeks. "What's up, besides us?"

"I was wondering if you'd be interested in going to a movie tonight, just the two of us?" Roberto asked, managing to cover the majority of his nervousness.

Confusion flickered across Kurt's features for a moment before he nodded. "Sure. What's showing?"

"Lots. What's your presence in genre? Action, Comedy, Drama, Adventure, Romance." He said easily, trying to remember them all.

"Uuummm ...." Kurt's dark faced flushed slightly and he ducked his head, trying to cover the fact that he'd never seen a movie outside of the rec room below them and hadn't a real clue what any of those were. "Action?"

"Well, there's the new Matrix film, and if you like Star Wars, the Madison is showing both Episode I and II, back to back." He suggested.

"Matrix sounds good." He grinned. Star Wars just seems too much like a training film." He snickered slightly.

"Especially any of the Jedi scenes." Roberto snickered back. "I could just see Logan running the training on Dagobah. Of course, it would make Yoda's seem like a cake walk."

"But Luke wouldn't have gotten in _nearly_ as much trouble once Logan was done with him." Kurt laughed; light and easy with his worries forgotten for the moment. "He'd be a lot less polite too."

"And he sure as hell wouldn't have left early." Roberto laughed easily. "Though Logan with a lightsaber seems almost redundant somehow." He grinned.

"Nah," his grinned widened. "They deflect the lasers. Logan with that _speed_ is a scary thought though. Imagine the damage rating with him having Quicksilver's speed."

"I'd say we wouldn't have to worry about Quicksilver." He chuckled, having a distinct dislike for the arrogant speedster. "It'd be something to see that's for sure. But can you see Logan putting up with some Jedi trying to teach him in the first place?" He snickered.

"Only once his master _earned_ his respect." Kurt said a little seriously. "He respects the Professor and Storm. Even listens to them. Sometimes."

"Sometimes." He nodded. "Of course, when he doesn't he's frequently right." Roberto smiled admiringly. "But the 'Only for Defense, never for Attack' Jedi philosophy just doesn't seem like Logan."

"Nope, definitely not that. That emotional control thing just doesn't suit him either."

"Of course, he'd have been hunting Vader to start with." He chuckled. "And Vader would've been worrying about it."

"No kidding," Kurt rolled his eyes. "That and there wouldn't have been any of that political dancing. It'd be so much more like Logan and Sabertooth."

"Except that Vader has a lot more self-control than Sabertooth." He chuckled. "And more style too."

"Who _doesn't_?" Kurt snorted, though he couldn't completely suppress the fear he had for the psychotic mutant.

"Toad and Blob come to mind." Roberto snickered.

"Okay, I'll go with that. Especially Blob." He made a face. "Toad is more sad than anything."

"Yeah, guess you're right about that." Roberto nodded. "There is something kind of sad about him."

"He's like me," Kurt shrugged. "He _looks_ different."

"Only in looking different." Roberto said seriously. "But unlike you he has a mean spirit. He likes to build himself up, by knocking others down."

"He doesn't know any better." Kurt shook his head, his voice quiet. "I may be viewed as a freak, but I've been a valuable freak. No one has valued him, wanted him."

"You're not a freak here." Roberto said firmly, not wanting to get into an argument over Toad. The disgusting mutant wasn't worth it. "You're a teammate."

He saw yellow eyes slip shut and a slight tremor run down Kurt's spine as the words penetrated the blue furred teen's mind. Instead of saying anything, Kurt reached out with his tail to draw Roberto a little closer.

Roberto responded by putting his arm around his fuzzy teammate, and held him close. Somehow it seemed like they'd gotten closer up on the roof, than they'd ever managed in the bedroom.


	11. Dancing Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roberto asks Kurt out on a date to Pandemonium, the underage dance club in Bayview.

"Hey, Kurt." Roberto murmured as they lay in bed Friday morning, working on getting up. "Seeing as today's Friday, how about we go to Pandemonium tonight, together?" The larger teen asked quietly.

"You ... want to?" Kurt's eyes flicked up, confusion clearly written in them.

"Sure." Roberto grinned. "I admit I haven't been much on the club scene since moving here, but I sure was back home."

"Pandemonium's the place to go." He grinned back, perking up seriously. He'd getting utterly hooked on the club scene since the image inducer had given him the opening to try.

"That's what people tell me." He chuckled. "Now all we have to do, is get up for school." He grinned playfully. One thing Kurt had discovered was that Roberto was distinctly indifferent to morning.

" _Before_ Scott pounds on the door." He snickered and stretched. "Or worse, opens it."

"And then I'd just have to throw a pillow at him again." Roberto chuckled as he sat up reluctantly. "It was a close call, I reached out grabbed something and threw _before_ I opened my eyes. Luckily I got the pillow instead of what was next to it."

"What did you almost nail him with?" Kurt's curiosity got the better of him as he realized it was a night he hadn't been there.

"Math." Roberto chuckled. "I'd been studying late and it was on the night stand there, next to the alarm clock." He said pointing to spot that was indeed, just beyond the pillow but still within reach.

"His favorite subject." Kurt rolled his eyes.

"Well, he would've got the full impact of it that time." Roberto chuckled. "I did track and field in the off season back home, specifically shot put and discus." He grinned.

"You'd never have hit him." Kurt smirked and rolled out of the bed to stretch. "Probably would have needed a new book."

"Actually, I would hope not. The math book could've done real damage." Roberto nodded seriously. "I did get him with the pillow though. Amazing what surprise will do." He said as he stood, and stretched.

"Really?" Kurt looked over at him in real surprise. "He must have been walking in his sleep to wake folks up."

"Nah, even Scotty gets caught off guard once in a while. Especially when there's no reason to expect an attack." He smiled. "He's good, but not perfect."

"You must have gotten the lucky shot of the year then." Kurt chuckled and shook his head. "See you at breakfast." He commented before bamfing to his own room.

* * *

"Very different from clubs back home." Roberto commented to Kurt as the entered Pandemonium. He was wearing tight jeans and an equally tight black t-shirt that was a very distinct contrast to the loose and flowing blues, grays and blacks of Kurt's hologram.

"In way what?" Kurt glanced over curiously, even as he waved and grinned at a familiar face off to one side.

"Well, back home it would be a discotech." He smiled. "And more Latin influence in the music." He added casually. "But this is good."

"Good thing," Kurt shot him a grin and dragged him onto the dancefloor, "since this is it for this town."

"I'm not surprised." Roberto chuckled as he followed Kurt easily, a good share of his attention on getting the beat of the music. "This is a rather small city, as they go."

"I'm glad it's as small as it is," he shook his head, moving to the music as if it were an extension of his own mind. "There's so much less desperation here."

"That's certainly true." He nodded, as he finally got the beat and began moving almost as fluidly as Kurt. Roberto's moves, however, had a bit more casual sexuality to them than the acrobatic origin of Kurt's style.

They both got plenty of looks though, particularly Kurt, who was known here and not known to prefer guys.

Roberto didn't notice the looks much, since he was paying to keeping up with his date, who was a real natural on the dance floor where all his self consciousness disappeared. He was beginning to wonder if American clubs played slow songs occasionally when the fourth fast song in a row started.

Kurt on the other hand was totally enjoying himself. It'd been forever, it seemed like, since he'd indulged his newfound love of club dancing. He'd never be able to thank Kitty enough for dragging him here as an apology for freaking out around him for so long.

Kurt's enjoyment turned out to be quite infectious as Roberto quickly forgot about the missing slow songs, and threw himself totally into keeping pace with his date. It had been months since he'd been in a club of any sort, and this was more fun than he could ever remember having. Of course, the fact that Kurt was such a fun bundle of energy helped immensely.

"Hay, Demon," a cheerful female voice drew Kurt's attention to one side without breaking his movements. "Who's your friend?"

"Roberto." He grinned at her, then glanced at his date. "This is Cathy."

"Hi, Cathy." Roberto smiled warmly. "Nice to meet you."

"You're from Xavier's too?" She smiled and stepped a little closer as she moved to the music.

"Yep, and you go to Bayville as well, don't you?" He said, as he realized he'd seen the blue eyed blond around school. Given that there were three high schools within a reasonable driving distance, it wasn't a given she was.

"Yes," she nodded easily and moved a little closer. "Where did you move from?"

"Sao Paulo, Brazil." He replied easily, as part of his mind was still wondering about her nickname for Kurt. Demon implied that she was aware of what he really looked like, since that was a common reaction.

"That's a _long_ way from home." Her eyes widened a bit. "Your English is very good."

"Thank you." He said politely, with a smile. "Mother insisted we learn from a young age. A much more widely used language than Portuguese, and it would make going to college in the United States much easier, she always said." He chuckled. "I'm putting it to use a few years ahead of schedule."

"So what are you doing at Xavier's?" She continued curiously.

"Wouldn't you just love to know." Kurt broke in with a teasing tone, though the warning look he gave Roberto was deadly serious.

"Of course." She pouted her bottom lip out playfully. "Do you have any idea how weird it is to go to a public school _and_ boarding school?"

"Mother and Father are getting a divorce. I don't get along with Father, and Mother is in Egypt on a dig site." He said casually. "Mother is an old friend of Professor Xavier's and he offered to let me stay at the school so my education wouldn't be disrupted." He explained, telling what was the truth, at least as far as it went.

That made her look at Kurt curiously. He simply shrugged and pointedly looked away.

"Oh," she subdued almost instantly and slipped away. "Sorry."

"Hey, it's no big deal." He said casually. "Things are finally getting straightened out. And there are some definite perks to going to school here." He grinned, and looked at Kurt fondly. "Yeah, definite perks."

"Yeah," Kurt smiled back at him as Cathy disappeared into the crowd.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare her off." Roberto said quietly, more than a little apologetic. "She reacted worse to the divorce than I did." He said, a little confused.

"She was apologizing to me." Kurt shook his head. "She's been trying to get me to talk about my family for months."

"Oh, I see." He said quietly. "She must figure if I can talk about my awful family situation and you won't, that she must be prying into something truly painful." He figured quietly out loud. "Something like that?"

"Probably." He nodded a little, cautiously checking for the blonde's location. "Never could figure out just what she was about."

"Well, you're asking the wrong person about how women think." Roberto chuckled. "Even when I dated one, I didn't claim to understand how she thought. It's quite a mystery."

"It's not like guys are much easier." He pointed out with a shrug.

"No, I suppose not." He agreed, giving up on what had supposed to have been funny. "But I guess unless one happens to be a telepath, one is always guessing at what others think."

"Maybe even then." Kurt shook his head, refraining on commenting on just who had not only lousy taste in boyfriends, but wasn't going out with the guy who had it for her so bad it was sad.

"Well then it only works if you use it." He chuckled weakly. "Come on, let's get something to drink. Dancing really works up a thirst." He smiled encouragingly.

"If you want," Kurt nodded and easily weaved his way threw the gyrating bodies to the concession stand and relaxed to one side to wait for Roberto.

"You want something?" Roberto asked before getting into the line at the concession stand.

"I'm fine," Kurt shook his head and relaxed out of the way.

"Okay." Roberto nodded. A little while later he was back, sipping on what looked to ice water. "Much better." He said, relaxing next to Kurt as the teen watched the dance floor with the unusual fascinated detachment he tended to display when he was watching something he didn't understand but wanted to.

Roberto looked trying to see what Kurt was looking at. "So what's got you fascinated this time?" He asked his date quietly.

"What they're doing besides dancing." He shook his head and shrugged. "Never been very good at the whole socialization thing."

"I doubt you've had as much practice." Roberto said reassuringly, as he watched what the couples were doing. "Mostly it's boyfriend/girlfriend, boyfriend/boyfriend, or girlfriend/girlfriend stuff. Though a fair bit is people looking for boyfriends or girlfriends. And some of it is just plain old conversation." He said, trying to explain. "The couples stuff tends to be making out while dancing, or as close as they can get."

"You make it sound simple." Kurt chuckled, shaking his head slightly.

"Well, the basics are pretty straightforward." Roberto chuckled. "It's the subtleties that differ. Especially on how fast to move, since what works with one person will get you slapped hard by another." He said, gesturing slightly with his glass of water as one girl did just that to the guy she was with before stalking off the dance floor, leaving him looking a bit bewildered and embarrassed.

"A lot of effort for nothing." he shook his head, seeming to dismiss it all. But Roberto knew him well enough to see the longing, grief and resignation behind the shyly aloof facade he put up and bitter words.

"A good relationship is worth the effort." Roberto said gently, taking Kurt's hand in his. He could feel the surprise at the action telegraphed across the contact and the startled look Kurt gave their hands. "But most people have to try more than a few times before they succeed."

Kurt nodded very slightly, wondering how many times it meant he'd have to go threw the hell of the last week and Kitty's screams he could still hear ringing in his ears when he was feeling particularly insecure.

"Sometimes it works out the first time though." Roberto said quietly, trying to be encouraging. "But the point is that without trying, there's nothing. Not being alone, is worth the effort."

"That much is true, mein mannschaftgehilfe." He nodded with a soft sigh. "It is just not encouraging. All the teachers are alone."

"Your what, Kurt?" Roberto asked curiously. "I'm afraid my German is very weak." He admitted softly.

"Teammate," he smiled apologetically in return. "I'm afraid I still slip more often than I should."

"It's okay." Roberto smiled. "In another year or so, I would've understood." He chuckled. "Back home, German was something we got sophomore year."

"It's not even an elective here." He shook his head, then shrugged. "But America is not so interested in being international. It can afford the arrogance." He said softly.

"Brazil has a sizable German population." Roberto smiled. "It's kind of the way they offer Spanish here."

"Not that many native speakers make it this far north." He shook his head, feeling more culturally isolated than usual as he watched things that just didn't exist in his old home.

"Nor do native speakers of Portuguese." Roberto said sympathetically, and squeezed Kurt's hand reassuringly.

"And now I am just spoiling the fun." Kurt chuckled a bit ruefully. "Dance?"

"I believe that's what we came here for." Roberto smiled, set his glass down, and stepped toward the dance floor pulling Kurt gently with him.


	12. Broken Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys have their first real run in with what it means to live in a conservative community.

Practice was going well for Roberto, as he got his second goal of the scrimmage. As he came back up field, he smiled to himself as he noticed Kurt watching from the bleachers. He was rather pleased that his boyfriend was there. It was a distinct improvement over previous weeks.

While Kurt was still skittish about being called a boyfriend and they hadn't really gotten over the language issues, the other teen was making a noticeable effort to be around and show an interest in Roberto's life.

That meant things were definitely getting better, and he had to admit he had to thank Jean for a lot of it. Asking Kurt out, treating him like he had to be pursued and courted like anyone else he may have been interested in, had drawn him out significantly, even if it had earned Roberto a lot of confused looks from the other teen.

"It's bad enough you live with those geeks, but do you have to let them come to practice too?" One of his teammates groused, loud enough to hear but not directly enough to require a response.

"Maybe you should pay more attention to your game, and less to the bleachers." Roberto said quietly, but loud enough to hear, as he relieved the grousing teammate of the ball.

"Hay!" The startled, irritated shout followed him down the field as he moved with the ball. There were distinct advantages to coming from the significantly more competitive environment of Brazil.

Roberto took the ball down the field passed it off to a teammate, and then got it passed back in time to score again. "Maybe we need more geeks watching practice." He suggested as he came up field past the grousing teammate again. "Might even help your game."

"Showoff." He spat back.

"Oh give it a rest, Kirk." One of the other players rolled his eyes. "Just cause you can't get your girl to come watch and he can."

"Guess some of us are more worth watching." Roberto chuckled quietly, though the look on Kirk's face was more shocked than anything.

"A fairy?" Kirk's voice exploded, drawing attention towards them as his fist balled up. "Oh, you are so dead, DaCosta."

"More of a man than you'll ever be, Kirk." Roberto said casually. He wasn't worried, since he was sure between his training in danger room and the martial arts his father insisted he take that he wasn't in any danger from Kirk. He relaxed his stance and waited for the older teen to act.

"That is _so_ uncool, Kirk." Someone else said. "Get with the times already."

"Butt out of this, Sander." Another boy pushed him away as fighting lines began to be drawn within the team.

Out of the corner of his eye Roberto saw Kurt start to move, ready to join the fight if he needed to, but not all that sure it was a bright idea, or necessary, yet.

"Why don't you butt out, Thomson?" Another teammate pushed back. "Or are you guys just jealous?" He jibed at the ones who were having a problem with Roberto dating a guy.

Roberto wondered where the team captain was, and more importantly which side he'd take. However, he figured the captain for being smarter than Neanderthals like Kirk. "Honestly, just what is your big problem, Kirk?" He asked focusing on the cause of the fight. "It's not like I'm interested in you."

"The problem is that there's no place for fairies on this team." He snapped back.

"Foreign freak." Someone from behind Roberto hissed dangerously.

"Break it up, kids." The teacher's voice boomed across the field as he stalked towards them. "Just what is the problem _this_ time?" His eyes narrowed on the pair at the center of the disturbance.

"Kirk seems to be the one with the problem." Roberto said casually. "Since he wanted to discuss it with me, I was trying to find out what it was." He added smoothly.

Kirk's eyes narrowed. "You are _so_ going to get it, DaCosta."

"Roberto's boyfriend came to watch practice." Sander motioned in the general direction of the nearly empty stands and the lean sophomore watching them with sharp eyes. "And we have some _seriously_ homophobic losers on this team."

The teacher's gaze followed the motion and landed on Kurt, then narrowed as the teen was recognized and placed. "Both of you, see me after practice." He glared at the boys. "Until then, get back to the game."

"Yes, sir." Roberto said easily. "That's what I was doing, before Kirk got distracted." He added as he returned to the field, deliberately ignoring the still smug teen and other hostile looks.

"Roberto," one of the guys who had stayed in the background of the conflict caught up with him as they set up for the next skirmish. "Be careful. Mr. Davis is not very open minded."

"That's his problem." Roberto shrugged. "I haven't broken any rules."

"Just watch your back. He didn't like you much before." He shook his head. "This'll make it worse."

"Yeah, and I don't really feel like transferring to another school this quick." Roberto said quietly. "Damn Neanderthals."

"Just be careful, and warn him," he made a slight nod towards Kurt, who had settled back down. "I've seen it get ugly around here before."

"They'll find out what ugly is." Roberto grumbled, as he attempted to return to focusing on soccer. Suddenly he really didn't care about whether this team won or lost.

The teen nodded and moved off, his attention on the game and what he was supposed to be doing.

* * *

"Look DaCosta, you've been nothing but trouble since you got here and this just tops it all. Coach Davis's tone left no doubt just how little favor Roberto had with the man. "Xavier may have enough bribes in with the school board to keep you on the team, but you keep that freaky friend of yours _off_ the practice field."

"And are you banning all observers from practice?" Roberto asked evenly.

"Just the ones that cause disruptions." He narrowed his eyes as the defiant teen. "Keep this up and you _will_ be on the bench."

"Kurt wasn't doing anything." Roberto said defensively. "Kirk caused the disruption." He added, thinking that right now, he didn't care about the bench, and he wasn't going to let this Neanderthal blame Kurt for something he didn't do.

"Kurt is not to come to practice." The coast stated flatly. "Understand?"

"Oh, I understand." Roberto glared back. "Kurt's not going to be coming to practice, cause neither am I. You and your little squad of homophobes can find a new top scorer." He said, as he left. Like his mother said, never follow someone you can't respect. And he sure as hell did respect this half-rate coach.

"Good riddance." The coach's contempt rang clearly in his voice as Roberto went to find Kurt.

Roberto walked away from coach's office, thinking that he was glad he'd found out what a creep the coach was before he'd brought the guy a championship. He smiled thinking about the upcoming game with last year's champions. There'd been no guarantee they were going to win with him, but take out his usual scoring contribution and it was almost guaranteed they wouldn't.

"Why are you smiling?" A nearby shadow asked in Kurt's voice.

"Hi, Kurt." Roberto smiled as the other teen stepped into the sunlight to join him, clearly a bit edgy. "Just had a liberating conversation with Coach Neanderthal."

"Who?" He frowned slightly, his eyes dancing around the area, watching for trouble.

"That narrow-minded person who coaches the soccer team. His attitudes are even more outdated than his soccer strategies." Roberto muttered.

Kurt looked at him in concern. "But you love soccer."

"Yes, and this coach is a disgrace to the sport." Roberto said firmly. "I'm just glad I caught on to what he's really like before I helped get his team to a championship." He said a lot more casually than he really felt about it. "Never follow someone you can't respect."

Kurt started to say something, then shut his mouth for a moment.

"It means you can't play for collage."

"No, actually it doesn't." Roberto said quietly. "Though it does mean I'll have to ask mother to pay for the first year, unless I can get an academic scholarship. But I can prove my worth to any coach with eyes, who's actually worth playing for."

"Just because I showed up to watch." He shook his head, his voice quiet.

"No, because I finally saw what was in front of me." Roberto said seriously. "Honestly, I'm glad it happened. His coaching was giving me bad habits. He'd never make it as a soccer coach back in Brazil." The larger teen said quietly. "Let's go home. I'm actually looking forward to tonight's workout." he grinned.

"Jean's waiting up for us." He nodded a bit and angled for the parking lot with only a handful of cars still in it.

"Yeah, she probably saw what happened on the field." Roberto nodded.

"Saw and heard, as soon as I realized something was wrong."

"You have no idea how hard it was to resist introducing Kirk to the soccer field, up close and personal." Roberto said quietly.

"I think I can guess." He murmured softly as they spotted Jean and her SUV and waved at her in relief. "This doesn't seem to be a good place to be different."

"So I'm discovering." Roberto nodded. "Of course being a foreigner and highly talented apparently were offenses I'd already committed." He shook his head in disbelief.

"Dating a geek and a guy was another." He said softly. "Thanks for waiting for us, Jean."

"No problem." She smiled and opened the door. "It wasn't long."

"And I'm not apologizing for doing any of it." Roberto said as he climbed in after Kurt. "I don't apologize when I haven't done anything wrong." He added firmly. "Yeah, thanks a lot, Jean." He added, remembering his manners even as she smiled understandingly at the pair and started the engine.

"Just remember it's important we don't use our powers out here if it's avoidable." She commented in the safety of the closed and moving vehicle. "Those boys aren't likely to give up." She said quietly. "There is a lot of hatred there."

"I know." Roberto commented quietly. "That's kind of what some of the less hostile team members said." He added, and then hesitated. "And Kurt, you better keep your eyes open too."

The lean teen looked away, outside the window. "I learned that already." He said softly.

"Hopefully their normally short attention span means that this will blow over in a few days." Roberto said hopefully.

"There will be someone else." Kurt said simply. "They're always someone interested in picking a fight."

"And they rarely need much of a reason." He sighed. "I think the experiences of the first few will discourage others." Roberto said darkly, catching a glance from both Kurt and Jean, though she had to focus on the road more than she would have liked.

"Why do I expect you're going to be getting a few detentions for fighting?" Kurt said quietly.

"'Cause I don't start fights, but I do finish them." Roberto said simply. "Roberto DaCosta is no one's punching bag."

Kurt simply nodded at that, realizing that the teen was quite the capable fighter in the schoolyard brawl, unlike him.

As confident as an air as Roberto put on, what he was more worried about was someone jumping Kurt when he wasn't around to protect him. As NightCrawler, Kurt could handle himself, but without his teleport or tail he was far too vulnerable.

"Let's not get too fatalistic back there, okay?" Jean's voice drew them both out of their private worries. "Neither of you are facing this alone."

Roberto nodded. "I know, it's just kind of frustrating. A petty little bigot who wouldn't be qualified to be an assistant coach back home, abusing what little power he has." He said softly. "Makes me wish I was on better terms with my father for once." He finished not adding just how rare an occurrence that truly was.

"It would make things simpler for you." Kurt nodded without letting it show. The slight flinch he saw Jean give warned him out poorly shielded the knot in his stomach was at the idea of Roberto leaving.

"My father could fix this problem." Roberto elaborated. "Amazing what effect an angry parent with a high powered lawyer has on public education." He said quietly. "I'm not going anywhere."

Kurt glanced at him with an utter lack of comprehension on his face.

"He has a point." Jean sort of explained. "Between the parent and the lawyer, a lot could happen."

"Oh." He nodded, still not actually getting it.

"School districts have to be responsive to parents, largely because that's who votes on the budgets they run on, and who vote for the school board members who decide policy." Roberto explained, having read up on the subject when he found he was coming here. The politics of the whole arrangement had a certain interest. "And the presence of a lawyer means the possibility of a lawsuit, which is expensive for the school district to defend against, and which brings unwanted publicity. School districts prefer to settle things quietly, without excessive noise."

"So the school would be without a coach at all, instead of a bad one." He half shrugged. "I'm not sure how that would be an improvement."

"They would find a new one, and would be more careful about it." Roberto said simply. "But it's all academic, since I don't get along with my father."

"And the players?" He asked softly, still not quite seeing how it would be any real improvement.

"The players behave as they do, because the coach permits and even encourages it." Roberto said quietly. "A good coach wouldn't tolerate such uncivilized behavior, it demeans the sport."

That got yet another uncomprehending look, though Kurt nodded. "There are a lot of bad teachers in this school then." He murmured softly.

"That I'm beginning to see." Roberto said quietly. "Which explains much, since hatred and intolerance are learned behavior." He grumbled, finally understanding something his mother had told him after the incident.

"It makes me wonder why the Professor chose _here_." Kurt sighed softly. "Surely there are less troubled places for the Institute to be."

"I'm sure they're are." Roberto nodded. "I assumed it was because he already owned the property." He said not having a clue why either.

"If we can make it here, we can make it almost anywhere." Jean suggested.

"Perhaps." Roberto granted, lacking a better explanation. "Though given Bayville's general intolerance to differences, it makes their reaction to us should they discover what we are, something of a foregone conclusion."

"I'm sure he has his reasons." She shook her head slightly as they pulled into the grounds. "He is not one for rash choices."

"Yeah, that's true." Roberto nodded, catching the bamf of Kurt's teleport a second too late to see the teen disappear.

"Guess I better get inside. I've got a danger room session." Roberto said as they came to a stop. He was actually looking forward to it for a change. "Thanks again for the ride." He said as he got out.

"No problem." Jean smiled at him and privately hoped that this would settle down. She was not at all comfortable about what she'd picked up from either of their minds.


	13. Brewing Storm Fronts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get very messy.

"Not going well?" Kurt's voice from the bed followed the soft bamf of his arrival.

"Just not focusing well." Roberto said, turning his head to smile over his shoulder at Kurt. Just having Kurt nearby made him feel better though as if a bit of the stress lifted.

"Because of this afternoon?" He asked softly and rolled off the bed to come up behind Roberto's chair.

"Yeah, I'm still mad at the coach." Roberto admitted. "Don't think I've ever been so angry."

"He made you give up something you love." He murmured softly and slipped his arms down around Roberto's chest to give him a hug. "You've got every right to be angry."

"Yeah." Roberto agreed as he leaned slightly into the embrace. "But I've got to get control of it. Letting anger control me isn't good." He said softly and relaxed. Kurt's touch did wonders for dispelling some of the tension he'd built up.

"No, it's not." He agreed softly, thinking of Logan.

"Enough studying for now." Roberto said and closed the book. He stood and turned to hug Kurt. "Bed sounds good." He said with a soft smile for his fuzzy, blue boyfriend.

"At least if we want to be at all awake tomorrow." He cracked a grin and returned the hug.

"Awake is usually a good idea." Roberto grinned back. "Math is hard enough when awake."

"Math is a pain in German." Kurt made a face and turned to crawl into bed. "English just makes it _evil_."

"English seems to make everything harder." Roberto shook his head, and climbed in next to Kurt and put his arms around him.

"'Cause neither of us _thinks_ in English." He chuckled ruefully, then settled. "At least I don't. I still have to translate back and fourth and work most of it out in German or Romani."

"Yeah, I do the same thing to Portuguese a lot of the time." He smiled. "I'm not quite fluent enough in English to think in it on a regular basis."

"I'm not sure I ever will." Kurt murmured softly. "How you think ... it's so much part of who you are." He shrugged a bit. "But then, it's not just translating words for me. The _language_ is different."

"Well, yeah." Roberto nodded. "Very different from most other languages, but then it's got parts of so many other languages in it."

"Some day they'll get around to calling it American instead of English." He chuckled softly and stretched along Roberto's side. "It's not much like what the English speak anymore."

"Not that that English is any easier." He chuckled. "Just different slang and idioms." He added as he kissed Kurt playfully on the cheek.

"Easier, no. But they're barely the same language anymore."

"They both give me a headache." Roberto shrugged, not really all that concerned with whether they were or weren't the same language.

"You said it." He chuckled and relaxed against the warm body. "Why _this_ one had to become one of the most common is the world is a pain."

"Politics." Roberto chuckled. "England was the last of the imperial powers with a wide reach, and the US is its successor after a fashion."

That just earned a few grumbles, perhaps in German, perhaps just sounds of unhappiness. "I think they both like their power too much."

"People with power usually do." Roberto agreed. "It's one of the reasons I don't get along with my father."

"He likes to push others around with it, doesn't he?" Kurt asked softly.

"Especially people related to him." Roberto nodded. "I don't take being pushed well."

"I noticed." Kurt snickered slightly despite the seriousness of it. "I can't imaging it went over well with him either."

"I don't think so." Roberto agreed. "Miguel says that's why Dad and I don't get along, because we're too much alike." He said quietly. "And I guess that's true in some respects." He admitted very reluctantly.

"Stick around here and you won't pick up his bad traits in practice." Kurt said softly, trying to be reassuring.

"Though it's not like I need any more reasons to stick around." Roberto murmured playfully, with a fond smile for Kurt as the teen ducked his head in embarrassment despite the pleasant warmth it created in his chest.

Roberto smiled and hugged Kurt close. Now that he felt more certain about their relationship, he found Kurt's usual reaction to affection more endearing than anything.

* * *

There were days that Kurt Wagner regretted leaving the circus in Germany and coming to America to study with Xavier and becoming an X-Man. There were definitely days he regretted accepting Roberto's invitation to share a bed. There were even a few days he woke and regretted that he was still breathing.

A few moments ago, he realized tomorrow would be one of those days in a big way. Right now he was too focused on the twisting dodges and calculated strikes he needed to survive to feel that regret to care.

Of all the things he'd ever thought of to cause a mob to come after him for, being close to Roberto was not one of them. Yet that was what six soccer players were here to beat him to a pulp for while a very frightened girl screamed at them to stop. He doubted it would have made any difference if she'd been yelling more English than German.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, the part that wasn't focused on defending himself and ending this fight before it got fatal for someone, he found this all amusing in a warped way. Two tips to medical for serious injuries in as many months and neither of them from missions.

_Two down, bleeding and unconscious but not critical. Three bloodied but still fighting._

It was amazing no one had noticed that his tail was well and truly into the fight, but then the chaos of six on one fight maybe it wasn't.

Maybe.

* * *

Roberto's ran the distance from his room to Medical in what might have been a new record for Institute hallway sprinting. All he knew was that Kurt was injured enough that he had gone to Medical on his own, which was almost unheard of for his fuzzy blue teammate. That, and the fact that Kurt would've just been getting home from school, led Roberto to some unpleasant conclusions that were building a rage behind the forefront of worry.

He burst into a scene that turned that building rage into a flashfire behind his eyes. Kurt, now without his image inducer, was still seeping bright red blood onto the table he was laying on. His face was puffy and broken, and the way he lay looked decidedly uncomfortable despite what was no doubt the best efforts of both Hank and Ms. Sanders. Both were still working to help him as his eyes fluttered open and shut.

Roberto no longer had any doubt as to _who_ was responsible, and that certainly enraged him till he saw red. Only the need to be sure Kurt was okay forced his rage to a seething mass in the background as he walked over to Kurt's side, trying not to get in the way. "Kurt, I'm here." He said gently, wanting to touch him but not sure he could without causing more pain.

Dull yellow eyes, heavily drugged and dazed, opened slightly at the words but there wasn't much by way of recognition in them.

"I had to give him some very potent painkillers, Roberto." Ms Sanders said gently as she touched the seething teen's arm. "Even with his eyes open, he won't be aware of much of anything."

"He's going to be okay, isn't he?" Roberto asked, his voice a mixture of unconcealed worry, and barely restrained rage.

"Yes," she promised, her voice soothing and gentle. "We've put worse than this right. He's not in any real danger now."

"Good." He said quietly, clearly relieved more than he trusted his voice to convey. That relief, however, released the rage from where it had been simmering in the background. "He's out of danger, but they're not." He growled darkly, as he turned to leave. From the last time Kurt had been injured, he knew Kurt would be unconscious for at least a day, which would be more than enough time to balance the scales. _Nobody_ hurt someone he loved like this and got away with it. _Nobody_.

"Roberto." Professor Xavier's calm voice stopped him. "That is not currently an advisable course of action."

"Professor," Roberto protested angrily. "Those monsters tried to kill Kurt." He said, and there was no doubt in his mind, that monsters were exactly what he was dealing with.

"But they did not, and rushing off to injure them similarly is not the right way to handle this."

"So what is?" Roberto asked in complete disbelief. "It's not like the school or the bad joke that passes itself off as the police around here will do anything." He said, thinking that the school would probably encourage them.

"And that gives us the right to take the law into our own hands?" He asked with a slightly raised eyebrow.

"The X-men do that all the time." Roberto pointed out. "Or do we have an official sanction that we haven't been told about?" He asked, trying to stay polite, but seething that the Professor was telling him to let those no good punks go.

"No, we do not." The old man consented. "Those activities are directed only against other mutants. We protect others; we do not revenge our own hurts. We are not here to use our gifts against humans, no matter how they may anger us."

"And if humans won't do anything about their own, when they attack us? Then what?" Roberto asked angrily. He wasn't sure which was more maddening; being told not to give them what they had coming, or the fact that he was told what was going to be done instead.

"We defend ourselves." He said quietly.

"Who the _hell_ did this?" Logan's roar preceded his physical appearance in the medical lab.

"The varsity soccer team, or at least certain members of it." Roberto said angrily, not the least bit hesitant about telling Logan. Seemed like Logan might actually understand what he was going through. His visible rage was certainly close enough.

"It was not because he is a mutant." Xavier answered the next question before it was asked. "* _Logan, you must calm down. This is not a situation that will be improved by violence on your part._ *"

"Then why?" Logan demanded, already sniffing out who had actually been at the scene.

"'Cause he's my boyfriend." Roberto said softly, no less angry for the guilt that had worked it's way into his voice.

"Oh for ...."

"Logan." Xavier's stern voice cut off what was likely to be an involved and creative string of curses to be backed by fists, if not claws. "This is not a matter for street justice." "* _Not yet at least._ *"

"Like we'll get any other kind in this town." Roberto grumbled angrily. "Attitudes around here haven't entered the twentieth century."

"Yeah, right." Logan rumbled and moved over to Kurt's still body to check out the injuries for himself.

"Allow the legal system a chance to prove itself. Our role is to protect when it fails, not to distribute revenge." Xavier turned to Roberto.

"Those creeps will alibi each other, that's how it'll prove itself." Roberto snorted. "They'll all stick to a story of having been somewhere else, and it'll just be Kurt's word against all of theirs." He grumbled, having read enough in the paper and on the Internet to have no faith in the American justice system when a foreigner was the victim. And Kurt was as much a foreigner as he was.

"That is not entirely correct." The telepath said with a grave tone. "I understand your anger and desire to even the score, but it is not to your, or to Kurt's, benefit to storm off and beat them into the same condition. Give the system its chance. If it fails, _then_ it will be time to remind them that justice may wear many guises when it comes. This is a challenge to all of us. If we were to act now, it would only be in revenge."

"If they get away with it this time, then we will all be targets." Scott said simply, willing to give the system a chance but equally unwilling to allow the attack on a teammate to go without response. "Cowards like that pick on those they think are weaker than themselves, or those who have no backing."

"And you believe that violence is the only method to inform them that Kurt is not alone? Might there not be other methods of achieving the same goal?" Xavier regarded the team leader levelly.

"It may be the only way they take seriously." Scott said evenly. "That is the way jocks operate, they've basically issued a challenge to any friends Kurt has. If no one takes them up on it, they'll assume he doesn't have any one to protect him."

"And you accept the consequences of this choice. Not only to you, but for everyone here? Think about the affects it would have for every child here if you act. The Institute can not be seen as supporting attacks on humans. We are mutants and that is the only thing people will see. Not that we are defending ourselves, but that mutants are attacking humans."

"I'd like an alternative assuming the justice system fails." He said quietly. "Otherwise, we have to accept the consequence of doing nothing."

"An alternative I am not arguing against." He said simply as he wheeled out of the room. "Merely allowing the system its chance to act as it should. We must seek justice, not revenge."

"The same system that gave that coach his authority." Roberto mumbled, as he gave up and sat down to keep an eye on Kurt. He should've stayed after school to make sure Kurt was okay, given he knew how the soccer team could be. Slowly, unassuaged anger turned inward to guilt and self-blame.

"* _I suggest you plan this _very_ carefully, Scott. I may well not be able to protect any of you if you are caught in the act as they were._ *" Xavier´s mind touched his very privately.

"* _Were they actually caught?_ *" Scott asked quietly, doubting that they were.

"* _The assault did not go unnoticed._ *" He answered simply.

"* _Was it noticed by anyone who actually cares?_ *" Scott asked, wondering why the Professor was being so secretive, especially after the whole thing with the secret of Mystique being the school principal.

"* _Kurt's new friend at least. Also, it is too early to know what _Kurt_ wants, Scott. He has not shown much interest in vengeance._ *"

"* _Professor, you haven't suggested an alternative, aside from hope the system works._ *"

"* _I can not. I am the head of this Institute. There are some things I can not condone. No matter what the cause or what my own personal feelings in the matter may be._ *" Xavier responded quietly. "* _You know this._ *"

"* _Professor, there's a larger issue than vengeance here._ *" Scott said quietly. "* _It's about a group of bullies not being allowed to beat someone just because they're different. If they aren't stopped now, nothing will stop them from doing the same thing to others. If the system fails and we don't use violence to stop them, then how?_ *"

"* _I suggest reviewing what I have said here. Not what you heard, but what I_ said _._ *" Xavier informed him with a clear reprimand before breaking off the contact.

"Let me know if anything changes, Roberto." Scott said, clapping his hand on the younger teen's shoulder before leaving the room.

"Sure." Roberto said quietly, not really thinking at all. "Thanks, Scott."


	14. Payback

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Revenge takes many forms, particularly when it's a crew of mutant teens are the ones out for it.

"Did you _see_ what those jerks did to Kurt?" Kitty all but exploded when she stormed into Rouge's room.

"Prof said no fighting." Rahne growled from the bed in her wolf-girl form.

"Yes," Kitty got a devilish look in her eyes. "No _fighting_."

"Okay, so what have you got in mind?" Rouge looked up from where she was primping in the mirror, now interested in the conversation.

"Well ... just how much damage do you think three girls who can phase threw _anything_ can cause to their lives?" Kitty smirked. "Missing books, papers ... cars disappearing into the ground. That sort of thing."

Rahne's wolfish muzzle bared its teeth as she grinned.

"I like the way your mind works, girl." Rouge flashed a similar grin. "What are we waiting for?"

* * *

There was a big park that was the most direct route between Kirk's development, and the one where his girlfriend lived. Though officially closed at dusk, it was pretty much a given that various people took 'shortcuts' through it after dark. Kirk was one of those who usually did, since by cutting the extra time off his trip, meant more time with his girlfriend. Roberto was aware of this from locker room talk while he was on the soccer team.

He and Scott were lying in wait, wearing their black stealth outfits usually reserved for classes on sneaky approaches. Classes taught by Logan, much to Roberto's surprise. Thankfully, traffic along the unofficial path was quite low as usual, in fact there wasn't anyone in sight when Kirk came along, as Scott confirmed with the infrared scanner they brought along.

A swift kick to the midsection put the already injured soccer player on the ground, without knocking him out, much to Roberto's satisfaction. Scott remained watching silently from the side, impossible to identify with the hood of the stealth suit up.

"Hope you didn't think you'd get away with it, Neanderthal." Roberto growled as he stood over the prostrate figure, ready for any attack.

"What the?" Kirk pushed himself up and rolled away to his feet, giving Roberto his first real look at the damage Kurt had done before going down. "You." He hissed low in his throat and settled into a combat crouch.

"Yeah, me." Roberto grinned dangerously, as he swept Kirk with a surprising fast leg strike. Years of training with his father's bodyguards, combined with the demands of X-Men training were finally paying off in a real way. "You didn't think I'd let your cowardly attack on Kurt go unanswered did you?" He growled as Kirk got back on his feet and lunged into punching rang. "Or may you did, since homophobes aren't very bright."

"You got what you deserved." He sneered and threw a hard punch. "No foreign fairy belongs here."

"And homophobic Neanderthals like you have no business playing soccer." Roberto rumbled as he blocked the punch, using the momentum to plant Kirk's face in the hard dirt of the path. "Not that you're very good at it." A quick twist on the arm he was still holding pulled it into a position that painfully overextended the muscles of the shoulder and drew a satisfying cry of pain from the largely immobile teen.

"Get something through your thick head, Kirk." Roberto growled. "You're no match for me, and I can find you when I want to. You or any of your Neanderthal friends touch Kurt or any of my friends again, and you'll be spending time in the hospital." He said, punctuating his statement with a hard kick to the vulnerable hamstrings of the mostly immobile soccer player's left leg. It was hard enough to bench him for a couple weeks, but shouldn't require surgical intervention. "I'd take it easy for a couple weeks if I were you." He chuckled darkly as he flipped his victim over. "Remember Kirk, hospital time." He said just before giving the homophobe a hard right cross to the jaw that introduced him to darkness and unconsciousness.

"Come on, Roberto." Scott said quietly. "Let's get out of here before anyone gets close enough to spot us."

"Right." Roberto nodded, and followed his team leader into the trees and underbrush that made up much of the park. Discretely they made their way back to Scott's car, which was parked in the parking lot of a mall movie theater. In the trees at the edge of the parking lot, they slipped off the rather obvious black stealth suits and carried the small folded packages to Scott's car.

* * *

"Roberto," Kitty's voice cut threw the teen's attempts to concentrate on his homework. "He's waking up."

"Thanks, Kitty." Roberto smiled and put his homework down. He went over and sat down at his fuzzy blue teammate's bedside. "How 'ya feeling, Kurt?" He asked quietly once the distinctive yellow eyes opened.

"Wie ich von Wolverine geschlagen wurde." He mumbled and groaned as he tried to sit up, only to be gently pressed back down by Kitty.

"Sorry Bro, but Ms. Sanders said no moving until she cleared you." She explained softly. "Is it really that bad?"

"Ja ... maybe." He focused on her with some difficulty. "Droge?"

"Heavily." She nodded. "Just relax. Hank and Ms. Sanders will be here soon."

Between Kurt focusing on Kitty and not understanding German Roberto felt a bit shut out until Kurt was laying down against and those yellow eyes turned his direction.

"Hi," Kurt murmured and reached out with one hand to squeeze his.

"Hey, good to have you back." Roberto smiled and held the hand tight. "I've missed you."

"Been out long?" He frowned slightly.

"Less than last time." Ms. Sanders told him gently as she examined him with gentle hands that barely touched his bruised body. "Though I understand that Bayville will be short most of the soccer team this year between the three of you."

"Nope, the soccer team has only themselves to thank for that." Roberto chuckled. "A team of Neanderthals coached by one is likely to get into trouble."

"Don't insult Neanderthals," Kurt murmured as his eyes slipped closed again in the grip painkilling drugs Ms. Sanders added to his IV.

"Yeah, I probably shouldn't." Roberto smiled softly.

"He should wake up in significantly better shape, though I'm keeping him out of school tomorrow and on light duty for at least a week." Ms. Sanders spoke directly to Roberto. "If you promise you'll behave, he can sleep in a real bed tonight."

"Nothing more than sleeping, I promise." Roberto said seriously. "That's true more often than not anyway."

The blond nurse nodded, deciding against getting involved in that conversation yet. "Just make sure he gets back here in the morning. Nothing is broken, only a lot of bruising."

"Okay, Ms. Sanders." Roberto smiled. "He'll probably sleep better in a real bed."

"I'm sure he will." She chuckled softly. "Logan will be here shortly to carry him, since it is well after dark now."

"I'd need the sunlight to carry him properly." Roberto nodded.

"How light a sleeper are you?" She asked gently as she began to disconnect the IV line and prepared Kurt to move.

"Fairly light normally, why?" He asked curiously.

"Because if he wakes up before morning, he should take painkillers and I know him well enough that he won't do it on his own." She shook her head and slid a handful of small white pills into a bottle. "It would be best for him if you sleep light enough to notice if he comes around."

"How many is he supposed to take?" Roberto asked seriously. "I'll see he takes them."

"Two if he wakes before six am with an additional one in half an hour if he's still uncomfortable." She instructed and handed him the bottle. "If he's still feeling it half an hour after the third pill, alert me and get him back here."

"That's three pills, there's more than three in here." Roberto commented with a curious look.

"The instructions hold for the next three nights. Longer if need be." She glanced up and smiled at Logan when he walked in. "Those are not standard painkillers either. They were formulated specifically for Kurt. No one else should take them."

"It's never good to take something prescribed for someone else." He nodded. "But its just bruises, not anything broken." He repeated, making sure he understood the situation.

"No, nothing is broken and no internal bleeding, but he did take quite a beating. I'm sure you can appreciate the discomfort of having every muscle and most of the bones in your body bruised." She shook her head slightly and nodded to Logan as the adult picked up Kurt's small looking body carefully.

"Let's go kids. Time to put the elf to bed where he belongs."

"Yes it is." Roberto agreed easily. "Thank you, Ms. Sanders. I'll see that he comes back in the morning."

"I'm sure you will." She smiled and watched the odd foursome leave.

* * *

"Are things really okay here?" Kitty asked just as Roberto was ready to insist she stop fussing and leave.

"He'll be fine, Kitty." Roberto said reassuringly. "He just needs to get some sleep. I can look after him, honest."

"I meant between you," she said very softly, her worry clear in her voice. "It's not like you to mention how things are behind closed doors."

"I was just trying to reassure Ms. Sanders." He said softly. "Adults make certain assumptions."

"All right," She reached out to squeeze his shoulder gently. "Just remember you aren't alone in caring about him, or in caring about yourself."

"Thanks, Kitty." Roberto said quietly. "I'm all right, really."

She nodded, still reluctant to leave but not sure she should press anymore. "You aren't alone in this." She repeated softly, then stepped away to leave.

"I know." He said softly. "But things will work out, it'll just take time."

"I'll see you in the morning, then." She smiled softly at him and left, actually using the door this time.

* * *

"Morning," Kurt's voice was tense and weak, but more coherent than the previous night.

"Morning." Roberto smiled, as he looked up to check the clock, relaxing when it was nearly six thirty. "Feeling better?" He asked softly.

"Not really." He admitted softly. "I should have been able to handle them. They weren't trained or anything."

"Kurt, even the best can be brought down by overwhelming numbers." Roberto said gently. "And your training normally involves the use of your teleport. You were at a disadvantage because you had to fight in a way that's counter to your training. Judging from the absences among the soccer team, I'd guess you took down three of them though." He smiled. "It's time for you to take your medicine." He added gently, as he got up to get the pills and the glass of water he'd left there before going to bed.

"She wants be back there, doesn't she?" He sighed and accepted the pills and glass without complaint.

"Yes, but there's no rush unless the pain becomes more than just uncomfortable." He said quietly. "It was part of the deal."

"I'm just sore _everywhere_." He muttered quietly. "I must be all black and blue under the blue."

"That's about what Ms. Sanders told me." He nodded. "Just don't play tough about it, if the pain pills don't help." Roberto asked quietly and quite serious.

"Yes, sir." He teased with a grumpy pout.

"Keep it up, and you might beat Logan for most difficult patient." Roberto teased back.

"Nah, Logan's can't be. He's out of there in an hour no matter what." He sort of snickered, though it made him wince a couple times. "I've been there _way_ too much already."

"Just going by what the doc says." Roberto chuckled. "She's just been lucky that I haven't needed her services." He snickered quietly.

"Give it time. You will." Kurt promised. "No one makes a year without getting to know her too well."

"Maybe I'll set a new record." Roberto smirked.

"Trying to make up for mine?" Kurt almost smirked, then shook his head gingerly. "Between you and Kitty, do any of those guys still have hides left?"

"Well, I don't know what Kitty's been up to." Roberto chuckled. "But Kirk's going to be missing the next few weeks of the soccer season at a minimum." He snickered. "Honestly, the Professor made it quite clear he didn't approve of violence ... so I only used as much as was necessary to make my point."

"What was your point?" Kurt looked at him, his expression largely unreadable.

"That they couldn't hurt my friends, without there being a price to pay." He said simply. "Kirk and his friends needed to understand I look after those I care about."

Kurt nodded slowly and relaxed on the bed as the painkillers started to kick in and made him a bit more drowsy than he cared for. "I think they're going to understand that _very_ well before the year is out."

"I'm hoping they got the message this time." Roberto said sincerely. "It wasn't easy to keep from beating him to a bloody pulp." He added softly.

Kurt chuckled lightly, his expression more than a bit out of it. "Kitty didn't look to be done with them yet. She's planning something."

"I wouldn't be surprised." Roberto chuckled. "But her power lends itself better to subtle forms of revenge than mine." He said simply.

"Yeah, it does." He murmured, his eyes drifting shut for a moment before he forced himself awake again. "I _hate_ being injured."

"That's normal." Roberto smiled. "Enjoying being injured is not a pro-survival trait." He chuckled and got a miffed, though slightly amused, look for it.

"How long did she say I'd be out this time?" Kurt sighed in resignation.

"I think she said a week, both out of school and on light duty." Roberto said gently.

The pronouncement was greeted with an overly dramatic sigh and Kurt muttered several creative curses in the general direction of the soccer team. "At least I won't _look_ black and blue when I go back."

"Well, their going to be out longer than you by a long shot, at least most of them." Roberto said, trying to be encouraging. "And that is an advantage of the holo-image, you won't even look like they touched you. That should frustrate the ones still in school."

That made him grin and even chuckle lightly. "Once it's tweaked not to show it at least. It should be good enough."

"The best revenge is not acknowledging there's a reason for revenge." Roberto chuckled, earning a blank look from Kurt just before the fuzzy teen yawned.

"They got all messed up, and it looks like they didn't do anything to you." Roberto explained with a grin.

"Oh," he smiled, his eyes sliding closed as the pain meds won out.


	15. Of Parents and Politics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More of Roberto's family comes to visit and Roberto gets a surprise that makes his day in a big way.

"Yeah, bub?" Logan answered the mansion door to go face to face with an imperious man that he had no doubt was Roberto's father.

"I am Arturo DaCosta, Roberto's father." The man said in a commanding tone. "I wish to speak with the headmaster of this school." He added in a tone that was that of someone used to having his wishes taken as orders.

"Right." Logan measured him up and decided that he needed to be taken down a few notches, but not just yet. He made a mental note to direct Kitty's wrath this way when she tired of mentally torturing the soccer team with the other girls. "Take a seat." He waved in the direction of the sitting room. "The Prof will talk to you when he's ready."

"I would prefer to do so before Roberto returns from school." Arturo said imperiously, as he sat with air of refinement that seemed somewhat odd somehow. It was almost as if one had crossed European nobility with organized crime.

"Given how little he likes you, I don't doubt it." Logan smirked and walked off, sure Charles was already fully aware of what was going on.

Arturo was kept waiting longer than he was happy about, but not quite long enough to complain when a stunningly black woman with white hair and the palest blue eyes came into the sitting room. "Professor Xavier will see you now." She said with an authority and natural command that was a match for his own.

"Thank you." He said politely, not letting his displeasure with the amount of waiting required show as he stood and followed the woman of clear breeding and poise threw the mansion and to one of the large offices.

"Welcome to the Institute, Mr. DaCosta." Professor Xavier's calm, commanding voice greeted him as the woman settled into a waiting stance next to him.

"Thank you, Professor Xavier." Arturo replied politely. "Since my ex-wife has entrusted our son to your care, I believe it appropriate to discuss my concerns over the events of recent months with you." He said, though it was clear the word concern something of an understatement.

"By all means." Xavier nodded slightly, inviting the other man to continue.

"Though not a choice I was partial too, Roberto has had his sights on playing professional soccer for some time. I have been informed that because of certain attitudes on the part of the soccer coach, Roberto is no longer on the team. It's not appropriate for a public employee to be allowing personal issues to influence official decisions, and I'm wondering why this has not been taken up with the school. As the Institute is the guardian of record for Roberto while he's in attendance, I'm wondering why this was allowed to pass." He said in a very legalistic fashion. "Especially seeing, as this leaves a large gap in Roberto's education, namely preparation for an adult career."

"It has been taken up with the school board, Mr. DaCosta." Xavier said simply and calmly. "In the meantime we are doing what we can to ensure his skills do not fall behind while this is deal with. I am sure you understand that these things are not resolved instantly."

"Instantly, no." Arturo granted. "I will be keeping an eye on things to make sure that movement is in fact made." He said simply. "One of my ex-wife's reasons for placing Roberto here, was to avoid any further outbursts like the rather disastrous one at the soccer match back home. What progress has been made correcting this problem of his?"

"Roberto is doing very well." He smiled, ignoring the fact that this man considered his son's mutation as a disease to be cured. "He is a very dedicated young man to what is important to him and it is serving him well."

"Nice to see he hasn't forget his basics." Arturo smiled. "My information says that he's dating another young man here at Institute, is this true?" He asked curiously. It was clear that the idea surprised him, but that was mostly because his son had always had quite an eye for the ladies.

"Yes, he is." He smiled a bit more warmly. "He and Kurt have been very good for each other. They have both found strength they did not have alone. Roberto in particular seems to have matured a great deal now that he has someone his own age he cares about enough to work threw the difficulties for. It has been a very impressive change for both of them."

"They've been counseled about the difficulties that choosing such a relationship can bring?" He asked with a strange delicacy. It seemed less like disapproval and more like concern, even worry.

"They are both well aware of it, yes." He nodded. "It has only made them more determined to continue. Roberto in particular is unwilling to allow the difficulties of his choices change his mind."

"Some things never change." Arturo chuckled lightly. "My son has always been stubborn." He said quietly, as he began to accept that perhaps Roberto's mother had been right about sending Roberto here. It was not an easy thing to accept, that she had been right and he had been wrong. "Professor Xavier, my son turns sixteen in a couple weeks. Am I correct in my belief that is the age for obtaining a Driver's License in this state?"

"A permit," he responded easily. "He will be able to test for his license when he turns seventeen."

"A permit, that means he can drive with a supervising driver?" Arturo asked, not entirely sure since like many European countries, Brazil only licensed professional drivers.

"Yes. Someone with a license that is over eighteen. When he turns seventeen and has his own license he may drive by himself."

"The reason I ask, is that it is traditional, among upper class families, for a father to give his son a vehicle on his sixteenth birthday." He said quietly. "However, I do not expect to be in the area again for quite some time, due to business and family responsibilities." He paused. "I would like to leave the funds for the vehicle, so that he can select one once he has the permit. Assuming, of course, that he is showing appropriate levels of responsibility and maturity at the time."

"I understand, Mr. DaCosta." Xavier smiled approvingly. "We would be pleased to facilitate your wishes in this."

"Thank you." He replied politely. "One of my representatives will drop off the account documents later on. I should go, before Roberto gets home from school." He finished simply.

"Yes, that would likely be for the best," he agreed rather gently and inclined his head to the dark woman still standing next to him. "Miss Munroe will show you out, Mr. DaCosta."

"Thank you for your time, Professor Xavier." Arturo nodded politely. "After you, Miss Munroe." He smiled politely, to the exotically beautiful woman, who reminded him startlingly of his older son's boyfriend, Chris.

She merely smiled and walked opened the office door and gestured him out.

Arturo returned the smile with the politest one used with equals and left the office, following her so as to not get lost in the unfamiliar building.

* * *

* * *

Kurt and Roberto's lazy Saturday afternoon by the pool with most of the Institute's population was abruptly interrupted by Ororo's strong voice. The exotic beauty was now standing next to where she had been laying at the poolside, soaking in the last of summer's heat.

"Everyone, we have a visitor. Keep things looking normal until he leaves." She instructed, glancing around at the more rebellious teens and then a gentler glance at Kurt to check that his image inducer was on and that Sequesta's blue skin had turned back to a human tone as the new girl quickly dried off.

"A visitor we have to keep things normal for?" Roberto whispered quietly to Kurt. "Wonder what's up?"

"Could be nearly anything." He shrugged and relaxed back. "Even parents for a new student that can't handle weird _looking_ things yet."

"Guess an impromptu game of mutant-ball is out of the question then." Roberto chuckled mischievously and lay back to take in the sun, enjoying one of the side-effects of his power. He couldn't sunburn if he wanted to, since any excess radiation was just stored for later use.

"Roberto?" A strong male voice he didn't recognize snapped the teen's attention out of relaxing.

"Yes?" Roberto opened his eyes to look up at a fit causation in his late thirties with a friendly smile.

"I am Greg Sanders, the new soccer coach at Bayville High." He offered his hand. "I wanted to personally ask you to join the team, now that the troublemakers are off of it."

Roberto stood gracefully, and shook the hand with a firm grip. "So what's your rule on observers at practice?" He asked politely, wanting to get that issue covered up front. He was doing his best to restrain his enthusiasm, since his father had taught him that you should never let someone offering you something, know just how much you want it.

"As long as they stay off the field during the actual practice, I encourage it completely." Greg nodded with a warm smile for Kurt, who smiled back a bit shyly. "What I don't tolerate is personalities getting in the way of the team and our game."

"Good." Roberto smiled, warming to this new coach a bit. "I think we'll get along then. When's the next practice?" He asked, a little more eagerly than he meant to.

"Monday after school." He answered firmly. "We have a lot of catching up to do if we are going to make any kind of showing this year."

"And a bit of recruiting." Roberto nodded. "A couple of the troublemakers were good on the field." He admitted reluctantly.

"If you have any suggestions, I'd welcome them." Greg smiled at him slightly. "You know the student body better than I do at this point."

"I'll have to think about it. I'm not sure what kind of talent there is among people not on the team." He said uncertainly. "You might want to talk to Mr. Wymer, the gym teacher. He might have seen some talent during the soccer unit last year. I'm actually new to the school this year."

"Thank you," he nodded with a warm smile. "I'm glad to have you on the team, Roberto. Enjoy your weekend."

"Glad to be back, Coach." Roberto smiled. "See you at practice."

"And a great deal of it." Greg nodded and grinned before turning to leave with a smile and nod for each of those he passed and curiosity clear on his face.

"That should improve your mood." Kurt grinned up at him.

"Most definitely." Roberto grinned back at Kurt, before kissing him on the cheek impulsively. "That was a quick replacement. I just hope he's as good at soccer as he is at being a nice guy." Roberto smirked. "That and letter from Miguel in the same day. I think this is going to be a good weekend." He grinned. "You want to go to Pandemonium tonight?" He asked with a playful grin.

"Sure." He grinned back up and turned the image inducer off as Sequesta dived back into the water and turned a medium blue almost immediately. "Sounds like the last of your free time for a while too."

"Probably back to the usual soccer routine." He chuckled. "Two or three hour practices after school, when we don't have games."

"I'm sure we'll see." He smirked slightly and stretched out on the pool chair. "At least that's over now and those bullies are staying quiet."

"Well, all things considered, they'd be pretty stupid not too." Roberto snickered. "I wonder what they'll make of Randy's car when they finally dig it up."

"They'll never find it." Kitty smirked with dangerous mischief glittering in her eyes. "It's a good mile down."

"A mile?" Roberto blinked in disbelief. "You were busy. So what's it like a mile beneath the town?"

"Rocky." She shrugged a bit. "Lots and lots of solid rock."

"No interesting caves or anything?" Roberto asked curiously. "Too bad."

"I wasn't exactly looking, you know." She shook her head. "Keeping something that big out of phase takes a lot of concentration.

"Why so far down?" Roberto wondered. "A few hundred feet would've kept it from being found anytime soon."

"I was enjoying the ride." She giggled softly. "A new kind of joyride."

"Joyriding with someone else's car." Roberto snickered. "I just wouldn't have thought it of you." He said, completely failing at his attempt to be serious.

"Oh, you _so_ don't know me." She winked at them and dived into the water with a splash.

"No argument here." Roberto chuckled.


End file.
